The seven Sylvari
by Whisper5150
Summary: Just a bit of backstory on each of my characters. Still working on some but with school I doubt they would be done soon.
1. Saint's Story

**Yay Backstory! I hope everyone likes it. This probably isn't canon, I might not have done my research enough but WHO CARES?! It's Fanfiction for god's sake.**

Zustatek knocked softly on Caru's door in the vast Heart of Thorns. "Come in." The voice on the other side chimes, and she enters Caru's room.

Above her head, the roof is made of a pink flower, the sun shining between each petal. The walls are covered with shelves of books, vases, and paintings. The main room splits into five hallways, but Caru is not in them. Instead she is sitting in front of a bookshelf, reading a small journal barely one hundred pages long by Zustatek's estimate.

Caru jumps up as she sights Zustatek. However, instead of complimenting her or saluting like all the others do, Caru screeches, "Boots outside! What were your raised by?! Pigs?" She shoves her outside and stands in the doorway, tapping her foot impatiently.

Startled, Zustatek takes off her boots and sets them outside on one of the lower shelves where she notices Caru has put her high heels.

"Good. Now put the slippers on. Or come in bare foot if you wish." Caru turns inside, and only now does Zustatek notice the rainbow of slippers on the shelves inside. Smiling to herself, she takes the blue ones and slips them on, walking inside.

Caru smiles to her as she enters. "Good afternoon Zustatek. How may I help you?" All the hurry and sudden anger she had exploded with moments ago had vanished, and now she has returned to her calm, pleasant demeanor.

Zustatek takes a moment to giggle before responding. "I just wanted to have a chat about the entire army I have been asked to lead."

Caru frowns for a moment. "Surely you have learned all you need to know about leading the Mordrem from the Mally. What could I possibly teach you?"

Zustatek shakes her head. "Not the Mordrem. I want to learn about the other Reborn. Why did they join Mordremoth? How did Saint find Her?"

Understanding dawns on Caru's face. "I am surprised Saint hasn't told you himself. He likes to tell stories."

"Oh believe me I know. I am surprised that I was able to get anything done. He takes nearly every opportunity to blab my ear off." Realizing she was saying this to Saint's 'Soulmate', she stops. "Sorry." She mutters.

Caru laughs at her and pats her hand softly. "Don't worry about it Zusta, I know he can be very childish at times. He always loves to play games and explore and get himself in trouble. I have had to save him so many times for biting off more than he can chew."

They share a laugh thinking about him before Caru gestures to her seat. "Well have a seat then. I'll see if I can't enlighten you with the legends of the Reborn."

Smiling, Zustatek takes the seat across from Caru, groaning with satisfaction as she sinks into the cushions. Caru sits down across from her gracefully, like a lady. Hands in her lap and legs crossed. "Who do you wish to talk about first?"

Zustatek thinks about it for a moment, then says. "Why don't we go in order of first reborn to last?"

Caru nods slowly. "Alrighty so Saint is first." She takes a moment to think about the story before she starts. "Well as you know Saint wasn't called a saint before. He was just DDK and he was an adventurer for a guild called the 'Sovereign of Lords.'" She notices Zustateks confused expression and elaborates. "Just a fancy way of saying they're the Lord of Lords. Anyway eventually, they grew tired of his antics and kicked him from their group." She sighs. "He was heartbroken. After the banishment, he went to Lion's Arch and blew all his money on Charr Alcohol. Then he went to the SilverWastes…"

 _I really should help out._ The stray thought penetrates his alcohol hazed mind. He looks down at the bottle of Blood Whiskey in his hand, still with a few drops in it. He chugs them down, then looks back at Amber Sandfall's plight. _To hell with them_. _I have my own problems._ He turns to walk away, but notices a charr suddenly pull out two axes, swinging them around with a triumphant roar to the lips curl in disgust as he watches. _The only things charr are good for. War and making Whiskey._ He hums to himself, then turns and stumbles into the desert. He turns down a path to the right where vines have covered a canyon. Normally these would set him on edge but now he could care less about the giant objects swaying above him.

He sits in the shade and reached into his pack, grabbing another bottle from the many he has stowed away. _What a hassle it was to get these. To think they don't consider me twenty-one despite sylvari's lack of age._ He pops the cork off, smiling at the sound, before chugging one-fourth of the alcohol in one swig. He smiles wider at the warm, safe feeling it gives him as it slides down his throat.

He closes his eyes and lays back, enjoying the warmness of the desert sands. He begins to fall asleep when a low growl sounds from the canyon entrance. He sits up slightly and looks at the new arrival.

A Mordrem Wolf is at the other end of the canyon in a battle stance. Its teeth are bared and its claws scratch the ground underneath, leaving soft marks in the sand.

DDK looks at the wolf with a bored expression. It pads cautiously and slowly towards him, snarling threats. Halfway down the path though, DDK just groans and lays back. "Just get it fucking over with!" He shouts at it.

It stops and turns its head at the words. It has never seen a creature, an enemy, who wanted it to kill him. Its intelligent mind works out that this might be a trap. So it brings its head back and lets out a howl through the canyon.

DDK doesn't even flinch at the noise, his mind too dulled by the drugs to care. He vaguely recognizes the earth being shifted underneath him. He merely assumes this is the gentle swaying caused by the alcohol.

Suddenly the entire ground cracks underneath him as jungle roots tie him to the ground. He screams for a moment before one covers his mouth, silencing him. He shakes with fear as one comes into his sight, blocking the sun and ready to strike him. He accepts the fate though, and waits for the smack.

He flinches when the vine touches his cheek, but it isn't painful. Surprised, he looks at the it stroking his cheek. The one around his mouth loosens slightly and he turns his head away from the vine. It follows his gaze, dominating it. The other vines loosen up around him.

Suddenly one grazes a spike against his exposed forearm. He hisses in pain and moves to cover the cut, but the vines are faster. They wrap around his arm, gently and slowly, and begin to glow yellow. He stares in shock as the cut heals as if he had coated it with a troll's unguent. One of the vines even stroke where the wound was only seconds ago. Like it cares.

 _Maybe it_ **does** _care._ The thought drifts out of the black void that is substituting for his brain at the moment. He realizes that it is stroking his arm the way a mother would comfort a child, albeit with twice the danger of being suddenly cut as a punishment for letting your guard down.

Eventually he relaxes in the embrace and the vines loosen up, allowing him to move his arms and legs to let blood flow. He considers running, but the vines almost read his thoughts, and they tighten around his ankles.

DDK shrugs his shoulders. Taking a risk, he decides to talk to the vines. "So why are you here? Why didn't the wolf kill me? Do you have a choice as to whether or not you serve Mordremoth?"

The vines freeze as he talks. For a moment he feels as though he offended the creatures, despite knowing they are nothing but a plant. _Wait. I am nothing but a plant yet I can talk and understand things._ He tries a little experiment. "Ok. Move to the left if you can understand me."

As one, the vines swing to the left, with no force to move them except their own will. DDK laughs as they follow him. "I guess I will be asking yes and no questions. Yes is to the right." He takes a moment to think about his questions. "Do you have a choice as to whether or not you serve Mordremoth?"

The vines swing to the left.

"Oh. That sucks. You don't get any freedom?" He asks. They stay to the left.

He goes on asking meaningless questions, like 'Can you feel the heat of this desert', which was answered with a no, when he makes a shocking discovery.

"Do you have a direct connection to Mordremoth?" He pauses when he realizes what could be happening. "Am I TALKING to Mordremoth itself?"

The vines snap to the right, but for DDK it might as well have been in slow motion. He is talking to a dragon! The most powerful deities in the world besides gods! "Why am I still alive? Why didn't you just kill me to begin with?"

The vines turn to him. If they had eyes he swear they would be giving him the most sarcastic of looks. "Right. Yes and no. Got it." He thinks for a moment. Suddenly a snap sounds from the other side of the canyon. DDK looks up in surprise as a roar follows it. "Don't worry kid! I am coming to help."

 _That damn charr! He is gonna ruin this moment and I might learn nothing_. He shouts to him, knowing that he wouldn't accept a plea to be left alone to seemingly die. Instead he screams "No! I want all the glory for myself!"

The charr laughs at his words. "A true warrior. Can't have you dieing on the battlefield!" He grabs at his axes and charges forward. The vines move to intercept him.

DDK growls. _I hate people so much!_ He stands up and takes off his bow before realizing angrily that his world is still a blur. The alcohol hasn't fully left his system yet. But if he doesn't shoot, the vines will certainly perish. He placed his arrow, cursing as it falls to the ground with a clatter once, aims the bow, staggering slightly as he draws it back to full. He raises the bow slightly to accommodate for the distance, then let the bowstring go.

The arrow sings its dreadful song as it sails through the air. He watches it for a moment before it gets lost in the blur. Then the charr lets out a bellow in pain. The arrow has landed right in his left eye.

He clutches his bleeding eye and with his good one he glares at DDK. "You traitorous Bastard! I will skin you alive for this, Sylvari!" Then the vines grab his arms and ankles. In one fluid motion his limbs are ripped away. His voice carries for full seconds on the canyon walls, but for DDK it might as well have been years.

 _He...He just died! I just assisted in killing another soldier!_ His mind works overtime. _His screams, they are everywhere!_ He looks back up at the carnage. All caused by him.

"By the Pale Tree… What have I done?" He whispers and sinks to his knees, the bow clattering to the ground in front of him. He takes a moment to gather his breath but can't hold it in. He throws up over the ground, most of it red from the Blood Whiskey.

The vines approach again, but this time DDK isn't keen to speak with them anymore. "Stay away! You… You made me kill him! This is all your fault!" The vines surge past him and to the vine wall at the end of the canyon. Then they drill under it, leaving him alone.

 _They used me._ His thoughts echo those words over and over. _They used used used me. I am a toy to them._ He stands and begins to trudge out of the canyon, taking time to avoid the remnants of the poor soul he killed.

A loud sound of rocks crumbling stops him in his tracks. Turning around he stares in shock as the vine wall digs into the earth, leaving the way open to see the inside. Cautiously, he steps forward into the covered canopy.

The inside is literally filled with vines. DDK has to duck and weave between them as they swing overhead. He sees a light through them and that is his driving force. He brings his hand up and brushes away the vines softly. They recoil at his motions.

Confused, he raises his hand upward in front of him. In one fluid motion the vines part, the tips following his hand. He laughs to himself and begins playing with them, waving his hands in all sorts of directions like he is conducting. He continues for a while, then the scene he created with the charr comes rushing back. Realizing he has a objective to complete, he leaves the vines alone, moving toward the giant hole where the purple glow emanates from.

He stands on the edge of the hole, unable to see the bottom because of a deep mist. Taking an empty bottle of Whiskey, he drops it into the hole, counting upward. "One...Two...Three...Four...Five...Si-" A smash echoes out of the hole. DDK let's out a low whistle. Then an idea comes to mind. . .

DDK laughs as he sails through the air. He does a small flip and lands skillfully atop another vine, which he uses to catapult himself to one slightly lower. He repeats the action over and over, sometimes bringing himself back up just to enjoy the feeling of the mist as he flies. Eventually he grows bored though, and brings himself, atop a vine, down to the floor below.

As the vine withdraws, he pats it with his hand, feeling it squirm in his touch. He then turns to the source of the light.

A large seed, bigger than a sylvan hound, sits in the middle of the pit, dug in slightly to the ground. Without the constant sound of jungle roots and tendrils digging through the earth, DDK vaguely hears whispering. Pleas for help and for saving. Confused, he walks toward the seed, his breath caught in his throat.

Suddenly a vine slams into his ankle and snaps it. He screams in agony and falls forward onto the seed. His hands grasp the sides to brace himself when something enters his mind.

Memories flood into his mind. Memories that are not his own. Memories of dragons playing and fighting in the sand, memories of loves and heartbreaks, memories of being hidden underground in...Eggs?

 _The dragons are...Children?_ DDK realizes as more memories flood in. The dragons who stayed above dying off, the eggs hatching underground. _No. Not children. Just younger than people think._ They aren't tens of thousands years old, maybe just a few thousand.

Another memory, this of Mordremoth's tendrils reaching out above the surface, carrying precious cargo. A seed, to be kept safe while Mordremoth sleeps, waiting for the day it awakens. Waiting so it can build an army to combat the monsters on the surface and rebuild the elegant dragon race.

"The Pale Tree's seed. It was yours?" He can hear his voice, but he doesn't have a body, or even lips to show where it is coming from. All he can see is blackness. Then a second voice answers in his mind. A woman's voice, soft and caring.

" _Yes child. I gave your Pale Tree life, in hopes of building an army to combat those who stole my family away. Those who killed my brother, and those who plan to kill me. I want revenge."_

He could sympathize with the dragon. "I want revenge too!" He stops. "Well it's not just tha-."

" _Yes."_ The voice interrupts. _"You want knowledge better than any Asuran. Stronger than any Norn. Quicker than any Charr. Am I wrong?"_

Despite the feeling of fear in his heart, DDK smiles. A smile that never reaches his eyes. "No ma'am. You are not wrong. But revenge is at the top of my lists."

" _Oh?"_ The voice whispers, her voice silky now. _"And who, if I may ask, could dare spark hatred within one so smart, capable, and handsome?"_

DDK smile shrinks to a smirk. He knows false praise when he hears it. "You are too kind ma'am." Still, if she wants to know. "Well… There is this… Girl." He pauses. Why does he trust this dragon? "She was in my group and she is the most beautiful, elegant Sylvari I have ever seen. And sh-"

" _And you wish to have this woman as a mate?"_ Mordremoth states bluntly.

DDK sputters. "Mate?! After what she did to me? No. Oh no. I don't love her. I want her to suffer."

" _Mhm."_ The voice sounds skeptical. " _Well what if I told you I could grant your greatest desires. I could give you everything I said before, as well as the girl. You could have your revenge."_

DDK sits in stunned silence within the dark. Everything he wanted? "That is a tall order ma'am. I might just be the greediest sylvari in this world." He jokes.

" _It's true my child. Anything you could want. All I ask is that you help me with my revenge."_ The voice grows cold at the end of the sentence.

He knows what she wants with revenge. "You mean the total destruction of the world? You really think for a moment that I want everyone I have ever fought alongside to be wiped off the face of Tyria?"

A low chuckling fills the void. _"What lies have your 'allies' told you? That we want to destroy this world? Oh poor young one. We only want to obliterate the human race."_

Now there is a goal DDK can get behind. "Why them specifically? Why not the other races?" He asks, thinking of how the dragons have attacked all races, not just humans.

" _Merely poor souls misinformed about our true goals. We have no choice but to fight when they attack our troops."_ The voice states matter-of-factly.

DDK still remains unconvinced. "And I bet you lured me in here just so you can break my mind. Bend me to your will and corrupt me like Scarlet. Well I hate to disappoint but you will find I'm more stubborn then the rest." DDK smiles confidently. You can't break what isn't there.

" _Break you?"_ The voice sounds surprised. _"Corrupt you? I never 'corrupted' or 'broken' anyone! Ceara wanted to help me because I gave her what her mentor refused to share. Knowledge!_

DDK starts to retort, but pauses. He doesn't know what Scarlet wanted. What if this voice is telling the truth? "Can…" He stops again, afraid of what might follow.

It doesn't matter though, since Mordremoth can see into his mind. _"A sample? Very well."_ Before he can stop her, she fills his mind with knowledge.

So much knowledge! He knows everything! Every flora and fauna, every rock formation, every location in the world! DDK shrieks as more pours in, a waterfall of power, and he feels he may go mad. Every constellation, every way to prepare food, every precious metal. It hurts so much! But then it all stops with one last word.

"Mother." DDK whispers to himself. "You...Are...Mother…"

" _Yes child!"_ The voice cheers. _"I am so glad you realize the truth."_ She pauses slightly. _"Perhaps it would be better if you could see me."_

The darkness shakes and shimmers before his eyes and soon he finds himself…Back in the Dream? He turns, his body back under his control. He can't see Mother yet.

" _You know where to find me child."_ Mother whispers and he nods. Crouching low, he takes off running, past the vines that have replaced many of the trees.

He crosses the bridge made of flowers over the small cliff and rounds the bend, gaping at the sight of the proud dragon before him. While Zhaitan brought fear and disgust in his heart because of his abnormal look, Mordremoth looks like the dragons of human legend. Her scales look like leaves, her head is covered with spikes and branches, and she has moss covering her back and wings. Her legs are made of the trunks of trees and her claws are an oak color. A purple glow shines from her throat and lights up the dark valley.

" _Come to me, little one."_ The voice pleas. DDK's eyes begin to well up and he rushes forward as she lowers her head.

He wraps his arms around her snout, crying freely. Mordremoth lets out a soothing hum and pollen releases from her nostrils, calming him. _"It's okay. Mother is here."_

DDK wipes away his tears. "Mother. How could I have not known? Why didn't we know?"

She sighs, snuggling closer to him. _"You were taken away. I never got a chance to be with you while you grew. You are so handsome little one."_

DDK smiles at her words. "Even if we look like humans?" He jokes to her.

She pulls back and looks at him with one large, yellow, serpentine eye. She smiles back at him. _"Yes, even with your close resemblance to them. Remember child, it's what's in here."_ She brings a single claw up to point to his chest. _"That I truly love."_

DDK stops smiling when as he thinks. "So how will we get our revenge?" He knows that the dragon doesn't have the troops to attack all of Tyria yet, otherwise they would have done it by now.

" _First things first. Let me see this woman you want."_ She says.

DDK stands confused for a moment before saying. "How?"

Suddenly the entire Dream shakes and distorts. He turns around, surprised and slack-jawed as the scene before him changes. Mother disappears as well as the surrounding area, only to be replaced with Hoelbrak at midnight. Might and Main stands before him, and as he turns he realizes this was when he was kicked from the guild!

" _Such a cold place for a cold hearted event."_ Mother says in his head. _"So tell me about this woman. Was she here when it happened?"_

DDK nods and realizes there is a dull humming coming from inside the Main. He recognizes the song and, laughing all the while, sings along, changing some lyrics to please Mordremoth.

"Oh please, dear mother. You know I am a Righteous man. Of my wisdom, I am justly proud." He makes a slight bow. He can hear Mordremoth's confused laugh at his silliness and he smiles himself, almost stopping. "Oh my dear mother. You've made me so much wiser than, the common, vulgar beneath your steely claws."

He frowns and closes his eyes at the next part. "Then tell me, dear mother, why I see her standing there. Why her smoldering eyes still scorch my soul?" As he sings, a bright light suddenly shines in the night in front of him, but with his eyes closed he can't see it. "I feel her, I see her. The sun caught in her leafy hair. It's blazing in me out of all control!" Suddenly the music stops and he opens his eyes to notice the blinding light light.

Calmly and slowly, a form steps out of the light. A blazing beacon of beauty to DDK and the reason he has lost EVERYTHING. Anger mixes with passion as he stares at the Angel before him.

Smiling her pretty smile, she holds her arms out to embrace him. The light around her grows brighter with every step she takes toward him. DDK immediately moves to accept the embrace when the light reaches him in the darkness. He hisses with pain as it touches him. It burns! Like...Like…

"Like Fire!" He shouts, rushing back as the music resumes. "Hellfire!" Angel continues her walk forward, now with a confused look, as if she doesn't understand why DDK ran backward. "This fire in my skin." DDK tries again to approach her, to feel her warm arms around him, but it scorches him, like standing near magma. "This burning, desire, is turning me to sin."

DDK turns and runs up the ramp, away from the burning, even as it grows out to catch him. He hears mother sing along with him, reading his mind to know where he is going with the lyrics.

" _What do you want?"_ She hums and DDK looks back at Angel before answering.

"It's not a want!" He shouts. "It is a need." He points at Angel. "I need to see this girl brought straight down to her knees!" He takes off running again, looping back around to head to the Main.

" _This is your wish?"_ She shouts, her voice almost a mythical level of music.

"IT IS MY WISH!" DDK screams. "Oh mother dear. I wish to see her eyes filled with fear!" He turns to look back at the chaser when he realizes she is gone. He makes it back to the Main before stopping his run and looking around for her. A twinge of worry strike in his mind as he looks every direction for the woman.

Suddenly a flash of light surrounds him. With a cry of fear, DDK turns around, only to get grabbed by Angel. He screams as the burning light pushes away the safe darkness, burning him inside and out. "Help me Dear Mother! Don't let this siren cast her spells! Don't let her fire scorch my flesh and bone!"

A mighty roar sounds from above as Mordremoth drops out of the sky, crushing Might and Main in a single stomp. She grabs Angel with her left forepaw and brings her up to her muzzle as DDK sings below. "Capture the Angel, and let her see the fires of Hell! Then we'll see if she wants to be alone."

Roaring, Mordremoth opens her jaw and a light shines out of it. Fires burst from her jaw, surrounding Angel with a torrent of flame. When she cuts the fire off with a snap of her jaw, Angel is unscathed but incredibly shaken up. Mordremoth sets her down in front of DDK, who is grinning at her terrified look.

Without warning, the scene collapses into nothing and DDK is thrown back into the black, bodiless existence once more. _"I will need your help my child. When you awake you will know what to do."_

He blinks and suddenly he is back in the pit of the Silverwastes. An image flashes through his mind as he draws his blade. He smiles as he looks at his reflection in the silver of the blade. _So young_ he thinks to himself. _And yet a hero to so many. Now I can add a Dragon to the list of damsels._ The image flashes by again and he sighs. He brings his wrist to eye level, wrenches off his bracer, and slices his arm deeply.

He holds his arm above the seed and watches in awe as the red blood turns black when it touches the seed. Then a light glow erupts from it and shoots toward the sword, inscribing it in gold with the words "Ba Mhaith". He smiles at the words, not understanding the words but enjoying the shine it creates. He hears Mother's voice call to him. _"Well done Young one! You have accepted our deal. Now to finish the dream."_

He smiles and touches the seed with his palm, allowing himself to be brought back into the Dream. When he is back in Hoelbrek, Angel looks at him with a worried expression. The look turns to shock as DDK brings the sword up and points it at her. The blood on it has turned black too, starting at the tip and moving towards the hilt.

"Hellfire!" He sings loudly as the light begins to push toward him. "Dark Fire!" The sword, now entirely black, bursts into a dark black flame, forcing the light back and enveloping DDK in a cold, dark shield. "Now Angel it's your turn!" He takes a step forward, and she steps back, trying to understand what is happening. "Choose me or" he raises his sword, "Your pyre!" DDK then rushes forward, shattering the light shield around her, her literal radiating beauty, and allows darkness to seep in and surround them both in its soft embrace. "Be mine or you Will BURN!" Holding Ba Mhaith like a torch to push away the light, he draws his other sword, shorter than its comrade, and stabs Angel through her chest. She lets out a weak gasp and crumbles in his arms.

Holding her tightly, he stares in wonder as her blood coats his sword. It's bright gold! Her holy blood is pure gold. Then a drop of darkness touches the shining blade. It swirls down the center, stopping to write an inscription. Branded upon the sword in black the words "Ni Mor" can be seen.

He looks at her face, drained of most of its color. He looks around and realizes he is waking up. The dream is shimmering and already the sky has vanished. He looks back at her, her eyes glassy, and leans forward. _I kiss her now, and I will be the last thing she ever feels._ He smirks and brings her closer. Just as their lips connect, just as he feels her dying breath, she fades away. Denying him what he wants, again.

"EVEN IN DEATH YOU TAUNT ME!" DDK screams at the empty air. "I WILL DESTROY YOU FOR THIS. I WILL FIND YOU, EVEN IF I MUST UPROOT ALL OF TYRIA!" He stands up and sheaths his swords. "I will find you, Angel. You will not escape my darkness." An image flashes through his head and he smiles. "Yes. I will lead the Mordrem to a new age. As the dragons were thrust into the darkness by the races of Tyria, I will redeem them and bring their power back to the surface! I will save these mystical creatures from the damned humans."

Mother chuckles at his words. _"You are so young, yet so bold. You are my savior."_ She pauses to flash an image to him again, this one of him standing atop a tower of vines overlooking the jungle. He holds his weapons triumphantly above him. Below, the entire jungle is alive, shaking and looking as the tower grows in size. The jungle itself is proud of him. _"You are my Saint."_

 _Such a magnificent word._

 **That was awesome to write and I hope it was awesome to read. Also, in the dream with Angel, every single dialogue is supposed to be sung to the tune 'Hellfire' from the Hunchback of Notre Dame. Yes, I am that creative….Childish.  
**


	2. Mally's Story

**Mally is my OC, just like Saint, Caru, and Zustatek. Sorry if I take someone's character on accident.**

"Wow... Saint really had some demons!" Zustatek says as Caru finishes Saint's story, laughing at the irony.

Caru laughs as well. "Oh he is only scratching the surface! Many of the reborn who come to Mother have suffered a great deal and want to avenge what they have lost." She pauses for a moment. "Well except for Mally of course."

Zustatek raises an eyebrow. "The guardian? What did she want from Mother?" She asks.

"Something she never needed." Obviously Caru never cared too much for Mally. Zustatek can hear it in her tone. "We might as well keep going in order." She mumbles to herself. She notices Zustatek's confused expression. "Mally is the second of the Reborn. She's also the strongest of us."

Zustatek is still confused. "I thought all the Reborn have extra strength. It comes with b-."

"Yes, yes." Caru interrupts. "But if you specifically ask for strength, Mother will give you a boost to it."

Zustatek can't help smiling at her. The others wouldn't dare interrupt their leader. Caru is the only one who doesn't seem put off or scared of Zustatek's 'rank'. "A good gift to have. Enough brawn could easily beat any amount of brain."

Caru shrugs. "The reverse is also true. Brain can beat brawn any day. The truth is she made the wrong choice. She could have built her strength on her own, instead of wasting her wish on it." She growls. "She wasn't very smart to begin with."

Zustatek looks at Caru with surprise. She was never one to insult on a whim. "So what if she wasn't the brightest. She is the best sylvari fighter I have ever seen." And that was no idle compliment either. She had dueled with all the Reborn to hone her skills against each class and Mally definitely gave her all. Mally lost to Zustatek just as much as she won.

Not only that, but Mally seems to be the only one who values honor above victory. Whenever Zustatek lost her mace or ran out of endurance while Mally could still fight, Mally didn't push her advantage. Instead they would both take a break, allowing Zustatek to regain her energy, and they would fight again.

Zustatek decides to attempt to change topic slightly. "So what is her story?"

Caru sighs. "A story of war. She was a part of the Warden when she was first born, but she grew tired of the standing around guarding quickly and moved to the Mist Wars. She was a soldier then for a group called the Gate of Madness and she loved the fights. She even lead a couple of them. Then one day she was in charge of assisting an attack on the Henge of Denravi Bay area, where Saint was stationed..."

Mally looks over the army waiting atop the walls of the bay. None of them made any move to attack the rams slamming into the door. She doesn't like the look of it.

She turns toward her scout, a male charr in charge of watching enemy movement. "You are certain they have less troops than us?" She asks again.

The charr nods at her with a growl. "Don't doubt me, Mally. I am the best in my field at gathering intel. They have only gotten a possible twenty five maximum soldiers in there. I would be worried about any arrow cart ambushes, but those can easily be dodged through. I have no idea why they are being so ignorant of our attack." He points to one of them, a Sylvari in gold and green armor, walking along the wall playing a guitar. "It's as if they expect to lose."

Mally looks at the army again, then back at hers. She has a forty large group. There is a snowball's chance in an elementalist's bedroom that they will lose to this uncoordinated mess of inexperienced soldiers. She smiles as the splintering sound of the door grows louder as more of it breaks. She pulls out her greatsword and prepares to charge.

With a loud crash the center of the gate snaps off, leaving a hole large enough for her army to charge in. She swings her greatsword wildly over her head, smiling as the first of the troops jump from above and begin the fight. Swords clash and missiles fly overhead, magic and non-magic alike. She ducks and weaves through them all, knowing she has a target.

She wasn't in charge of leading this army yet. That was in case the real commander was defeated. She is in charge of finding and attacking anyone who tried to take command. She was an assassin for now.

She saw one such target, an Asuran mesmer, yelling in the language the Henge of Denravi group were forced to use when in the mists. So wrapped up in the fight, the mesmer almost didn't notice Mally when she moved in to attack. But she did, and she brought her staff around to stop Mally's devastating head swing. She then smacks Mally on her head, making her vision go blurry. The mesmer then stops moving for a moment before resuming an attack.

Snarling like a beast, Mally swings her sword around again to strike her, but the mesmer puts up no defense. Mally realizes this is a clone, and easily strikes it down with a downward strike. Turning wildly, she looks for the mesmer once more.

A wave of purple slams into her, knocking her off her feet. She dodges out of the way of a ball of chaos, then rushes forward like a bull. The mesmer weakly brings up her staff to defend, but it goes spinning off the side, landing with a clatter on the dock below.

Mally feels her blood boil over and she lets loose a swing so powerful it breaks the poor mesmer's mask. Just before it connects, she remembers the rule to never kill in the mists. She tilts her greatsword, hitting the mesmer with the flat of the blade and giving her a slight cut on the ear. The mesmer falls to the ground unconscious.

Smiling, Mally cleans her greatsword with a cloth attached to her belt. She turns to head into battle when something whizzes past her head. Looking toward the direction it came from, she catches a glimpse of gold before a blunt-head arrow hits her in the chest and sends her careening off the edge into the water. She hits the water like it was concrete, but she shrugs it off quickly.

Wasting no time, she swims out of the water, avoiding sharks, and onto the dock of the inner bay. She coughs up some water, then drags herself ashore, taking care to stay out of sight of the archers on the wall. They have there eyes focused on the battle and aren't at their posts, making it easy for her to sneak around and hide behind a tree.

She sits down, glancing back behind her for any sign of her attacker. She sees nothing and relaxes, sheathing her sword.

After a moment she looks around the tree and stares at the battle. Or at least she would be, if the battle hadn't mysteriously disappeared. Startled by the realization that everyone had vanished, she quickly starts marching toward the southern gate, when vines sprout out of the ground and clamps onto her feet, immobilizing her.

Wasting no time, she pulls out her greatsword and swings it down, cutting the vines in two easily. Then she rolls away from the tree, knowing any attacker would expect her to stand still.

Sure enough, two arrows slam into the point where she was standing, both with green and gold fletching. She turns towards the direction they came from, due east of her, and sees the sylvari from before on the wall in his gold and green armor.

"Where has everyone gone? What have you done to me?" She knows he can't understand her, the mists made sure of that. she could only hope he could read her li-.

"They were easily defeated under the Henge, but that isn't the point." The sylvari says, perfectly understandably. Shocked, Mally stares mouth agape at him as he continues. "My name is Saint, and I have watched you fight. You are a very strong, strategic sylvari, and I could use someone like you. I want to give you an offer."

He pauses to allow her to answer, but it takes a while for her to get over the shock. "How can you talk to me?" She finally asks.

He smiles. "Oh just a bit of magic I picked up from a friend. So would you like to hear my offer?"

Mally looks him over with suspicion. She has never seen anyone be able to get through the mists' affects. She knows there are loopholes, but never a direct approach like this. "What is it?"

"I can give you anything you could ever want and more. Have you ever wanted revenge? Wanted to be stronger than any of our brothers or sisters? Wanted to be able to understand what every asuran was ever saying? Then I have something for you!" He pauses to allow her to think before continuing. "All I need is a small donation, and you could defeat anything!"

Mally laughs at him for a moment to hide her racing thoughts. "You sound like a merchant trying to sell me a drug."

He smiles at her. "Not a drug, merely a form of wish fulfillment. You could have anything you could ever want for only a small price."

"Oh?" She growls at him. "And what would that price be, Ranger? My entire weapon and armor set I have gathered over my ten years of being alive? My bank account of gold? My very soul?" She laughs heartily at him. "Face it, any price for wish fulfillment is too large. And I do not want to lose what I have worked so hard to gain in the blink of an eye to someone like you."

She punctuates the sentence by drawing her greatsword, ready to attack this smiling Saint.

He sighs in regret. "I guess I'll have to beat the sense into you. I was hoping you were smarter than that." He draws his custom swords and raises them, ready to fight.

Mally starts the fight, rushing forward like a bull with the intent of taking this imbecile in the side. Saint rolls around and slices her as she runs past, denting her heavy armor. She grunts at the blow and quickly swings another side blow at him. He easily catches the blow with his gold sword and brings his black one up, slamming into her helm and dazing her.

She shakes it off and grabs at her belt, grasping her bolas. She unclips them and swings them at the smug ranger, aiming for the ankles.

Success! The bolas wrap around his boots, leaving him immobilized. She moves to push her advantage, slashing at the ranger with abandon.

His feet may be tied, meaning he can't dodge, but he can still deflect. Holding his swords in an X pattern, he catches each of her swings and easily diverts them. Then with each attack he brings his boot up to kick at her, distracting her and making her withdraw from her attack.

Snarling at him, Mally swings her sword as fast as she can in multiple directions, intend on cutting him to pieces.

In an amazing display of speed, Saint jumps out of the bolas and rolls backward, evading every sword strike like nothing. He then rolls forward, brings the hilt of his sword around and slamming it into the side of Mally's helm, this time with enough force behind it to ignore her armor and hit her skull.

Mally groans softly and her eyes roll back as she falls to the ground with a thump. Smiling to himself, Saint leans over and ties her feet and hands, then he slings her over his back then takes off running toward the citadel, faster than Tootsie herself.

By the time he had reached the garrison and is on the uphill toward the gate, the girl had woken up and started screaming.

"Pipe down! No Hod soldier can hear you and no GoM are around!" He swings her around to his other shoulder. "Besides, I am doing you a favor! This is what you want, though you may not know it yet." He growls the last part.

She growls back at him and attempts once more to kick him in the back. With her legs bound together it all comes to nothing.

Suddenly Saint takes off running away from the north west tower, running toward the waterfall. Confused, Mally attempts to look forward, only to get a slap to keep her head down. Realizing that she is not allowed to look anywhere but down, she resigns herself to asking questions.

"How are you able to do that?" She asks as Saint throws Ni Mor into the face of a snow leopard, killing it quickly.

"Normally a warrior with enough muscles are the only ones to do that, hm? Just one of the perks of my wish fulfillment. Maybe now you would be interested? Wouldn't it be amazing if you could fire a longbow as fast as a ranger?" He asks, gesturing to the longbow on his back. He shrugs her off, then he draws and fires at a deer so fast Mally would have missed it if she blinked at the right time. It hits the poor creature right below the ear.

She gasps, her war focused mind quickly realizing that she would have stood little chance against a ranger of that skill.

"Pretty cool, huh? Think of how useful this would be in the wars." He says. "Of course, a guardian of your skill could probably send the deer flying with your strength." He makes a show of flexing his arms before laughing again and picking her up on her shoulder.

Truth be told, he is right. That kind of power would be great to use in the Mist Wars. She could train her troops to learn the same way she might if she accepts.

"Wait!" Mally shouts as they enter the cave leading to the waterfall and the puzzle. Confused, Saint skids to a halt, spraying gravel forward.

Mally realizes what she is about to do might be dangerous, but it is too late to go back now. "I accept."

Saint jumps for joy, shaking Mally around as he cheers. "My first customer!" He laughs and sets her down. "Alright, let me get you out of those bounds. Then maybe we can go together to my ride."

He unties her quickly and for a brief moment she contemplates running. She dismisses the idea when she sees Saint reach for his sword. Memories of his skill flash through her head and she gulps.

Saint walks alongside her, leading her by pointing to the edge of the cliff. Normally the waterfall would relax her, but now she is terrified.

Saint grabs her arm before she reaches the cliff leading to the puzzle. Confused, she turns toward him, but he pushes her back before she can fully turn.

Her scream as she tumbles off the cliff is cut short by the frigid waters embrace. She looks around startled as another splash follows. Saint grabs her arm and points to the puzzle.

She equips her breathing mask before following, thankful for the rush of air.

Saint leads to the edge of the cliff. He gestures for her again, as if she needed encouragement to get out of the ice. Together they climb the vines to the top of the cliffside.

"What now?" She asks, trying to keep her teeth from chattering.

"Now we may leave this horrid place for somewhere the sun actually likes." He answers cheerfully. Then he brings his warhorn up and plays six short beats.

The ground erupts and shakes as vines crash out of the walls. Scared, Mally grabs for her greatsword on an instinct before realizing that Saint still has it. Still, she raises her fists, ready to fight this new beast.

"What is that?!" She roars at the sylvari next to her, who is waving his hand to clear away the dust the creature created when it dug out of the ground.

He smiles at her, though it never reaches his eyes. "A Mordrem Pitchiaric. Lovely, isn't it? With this you and I can leave the mists without anyone knowing. They dig through the soil so far down only He Who Protects The Core may stop them."

The mordrem stabs its vines into the cave to hold itself above the water. Then with a low groan that echoes through the cave the lid opens and the thing tilts until it's level with the cliff.

Unabashed, Saint steps into the beast's mouth, stopping only to beckon Mally in. She looks at the teeth on either side and shakes her head.

"I am not going in there. I don't want to die." Mally stutters.

Saint looks at her with a saddened expression. "It won't hurt you. I swear. If any of the mordrem hurt you in any way, I will see to it personally that they are dealt with." He draws his sword for emphasis.

"Give me my greatsword." Mally says in a angry voice, pointing to the iron masterpiece Saint has strapped to his back.

"Of course, if you come inside." He takes the sword and throws it to the back of the beast. Then he takes his bow and does the same. He keeps his swords in their scabbards.

Mally feels so angry she could burst. She stomps her feet as she enters the beast, trying to injure it with each step.

If it can feel her, it doesn't show it. With another low, droning groan, the Pitchariac lines itself up with the hole it had dug and sinks inside, covering the tunnel as it goes with a sweep of its vines.

Mally groans and grumbles through the entire thing, unable to get comfortable during the ride. Saint meanwhile is perfectly content to stand in the center of the mouth, swaying slightly along with every turn.

"Must it be such a bumpy ride?" Mally shouts, despite the lack of other noises.

"Digging isn't exactly comfy." Saint shouts back matter-of-factly.

"Well it better end soon otherw-" Her voice is cut off as she tumbles backward. The ride has ended.

Saint helps her up as the lid of the Pitchiaric opens with another groan. The light floods in and blinds her, but Saint lifts her toward the light.

"Welcome to my home." He says to her and waves his hand as if showing the entire place off.

Not that it wouldn't be worth showing off. The jungle looks absolutely beautiful to Mally. The colorful flowers, the tall trees, the lavish display of power each vine produces as they lifts objects around is all breathtaking and Mally stands to admire every little detail.

"Cmon! We need to go see Mother!" Saint's voice penetrates her thoughts. Startled, she turns to see him jumping up and down waiting for her.

'He acts like a human child' She notes as she runs after him. The Mordrem below look up as she runs by and she hides her face, scared of the beasts.

Saint runs forward into the darkness, disappearing despite the gold armor he wears. Surprised, Mally picks up the pace, racing headlong into the darkness.

"Saint!" She calls into the blackness before her.

"Over here! Mother is waiting." His voice echo out of nowhere. Mally runs toward what she assumes is the source, only to run into a wall. Yelling a string of curses, she sits down, deciding to wait for him where she is.

Suddenly next to her a golden light shines, blinding her. She lets go of another curse has her arm is grabbed and she is dragged out of the cave.

Startled, she kicks at her captor, rushing forward out of the cave's mouth.

She stops as she reaches the mouth. The clearing before her is breathtaking. Vines hang from trees in a perfectly cut circle around her and as she watches, flowers sprout from them, colors of yellow and purple. All around her there is this low grumbling sound, although she can't see the source.

"Lovely, isn't she?" Saint says calmly behind her.

'She? What she?' Mally thought. Then she looked up.

What she once took for trees and vines was in fact the Shadow of the Dragon, asleep in its paws. Its breathing shook trees nearby, the low rumble from its chest enough to raise the dead.

Suddenly one eye opens, showing the nothing behind. It raises slowly off the ground, shaking leaves off of itself.

Then it seems to notice the Sylvari at its feet. Bringing its head down, it looks at them both with a smirk on its face.

"Glad to see you Mother. I have found one like me. One who wishes to gain power above any in this world. She needs your help." Saint says in a calm and clear voice.

The dragon nods slowly, processing the fact, before standing up and turning around, pushing its way through the trees.

Saint walks through the opening the dragon left behind, leading Mally under the roots of trees into a cavern with a glowing white sunflower. Saint stands on a small, flat fallen tree in front of the flower. He turns to Mally and helps her up and over the tree.

"Sit here," He points to a rock next to the flower, "and we may begin."

Mally sits down as Saint begins to speak to the flower, his hands together in prayer. "Oh Sweet Mother, please allow your guidance to seep into the mind of this wayward soul. Please, for the sake of the many Mordrem and the lost sylvari, allow her to lead our kin to their truth, as we have to her. Mother, make her strong to carry out your wishes, make her wise enough to think of her own. Give her the power she needs to lead the sylvari to a new age. One free of pain and strife. One free of death and chaos. One free of the scourge of man."

Confused, Mally looks back at him, but then something knocks off her helm and stabs into her exposed skull.

She screams in agony as the thing burrows deep, but the pain becomes too much and she passes out on the ground.

Mally awakens in an unknown location. Looking around, she realizes she is on some sort of large battlefield. Holes litter the area, red pools are in certain spots, and any nature is burning.

 _Where are we my child?_ A voice echoes in her head. Suddenly she realizes where she is.

"This is where I murdered him!" She gasps. "It was a heated battle. The adrenaline got to my head! I didn't know!"

The battle takes place before her. She sees the innocent sylvari with a blue aura walked up to Mally in a red haze. He hugs her, whispering something in her ear lovingly. She can only stand and watch as the scene unfolds

Startled, the illusion Mally brings her greatsword around and stabs into the blue sylvari. The color disappears from him as his scream echoed throughout the empty field.

"No!" Mally shrieks, tears springing to her eyes. "I'm sorry my love! It was an accident! I was going berserk!"

 _It's okay little one. I understand what bloodlust can do. Come to me. I will help you._ The voice seems to fade behind her. She turns away from the gruesome scene ahead, running blindly into the distance.

All around her, her lover appears, yelling insults at her, berating her for what she has done.

"Please leave me alone! I didn't mean to, my love! I wasn't thinking." she cries out.

Suddenly another illusion appears in front of her. It grabs her, squeezing her and yelling into her.

"You killed me Mally! You are a murderer!" He screams into her ear. His voice distorts, making him sound demonic. "You killed the only one who will ever love you! You will die alone!"

A roar sounds overhead and the illusions shatter into nothing. The Shadow slams into the earth, sending dust everywhere.

Mally falls to her knees in tears. "I am sorry Luas! I am so sorry." The Saint promised her wish fulfillment. All she has gotten is pain. She sobbed for everything she has done, all the people she has killed. She would bring them all back just to see him again.

 _I can bring him back._ The voice says softly to her. This time she knows the source.

She looks at the dragon with hope in her eyes. "W-What?" She sniffed. Then it sinks in and she quickly stands "How? Bring him back now!" She demanded.

 _It's not that simple poor little one. I need to be connected with the Dream to do it. I need to be with the Pale Tree to find his conscious and make him reborn. It is not free thou-._

Mally interrupts. "NO PRICE IS TOO LARGE IF I CAN SEE HIM AGAIN! Please!" She sobs with the last part.

 _Swear your loyalty._ The dragon demands.

"I swear to serve you. Anything if you bring him back." She brings her hand over her heart and swears her loyalty over and over.

 _Of course. When you awaken, Saint will care for you. Be strong little one. He will return._

Mally was overjoyed. She looked back at the field, back at the illusion of Luas, and smiled.

"We will be together again my love. Don't be afraid anymore."

 **I feel like I really… Strung out the last couple of chapters. It all feels a little rushed, evn though I took time to look it over. Is that normal? Next up, Ead's story. What sort of danger does he have from his past?**


	3. Ead's Story

**I just played the new beta on September the 6th. The Mordrem Breacher are just like my Pitchariac. They know about me!**

"I thought you said that Mally's story had no strife!" Zustatek said. "She killed her own lover!"

Caru shakes her head. "That was her mistake. She was blinded by rage like a fool. When in the battlefield, you must always be in control. Always keep your head. Be aware of your surroundings and be prepared to act."

Zustatek smiles. "I assume you are always in control?"

Caru returns the smile. "Guilty as charged. Just ask Saint." She laughs.

Zustatek doesn't laugh, just smiles more. "Then what would you do if Saint were captured?"

Caru's smile vanishes without a trace. As if an unseen force grabbed it from the darkness. "Not funny Zustatek." Only then did Zustatek laugh.

"So," Zustatek asked in between chortles. "Who is next?"

"Ead, The Sylvan Guinea Pig. He was a researcher for the asurans on Oakhearts. Because he was made of plant matter like them they paid him no attention, allowing him to go as close as he liked. Then the Inquest took notice of him and kidnapped him."

"Since they found out Sylvari were Mordrem, they believed that they could harness the dragon energy through them. They kidnapped ten sylvari and placed them in cages all throughout the jungle. Five of them died from the cruel experiments. Two of them were killed by hostile hylek. One was killed by Wyvern. Ead and his best friend Contuirt survived."

"They spent a full year in that prison trying to find a way out. Eventually they were able to get to the shield controls for the large dome they were stuck in and rig it to open a small hole in the side at a certain time. Then they waited to be released for another test."

They were coming again. He could hear them. They pranced around the jungle like they owned it. The fools have no thought for what might be lurking in the dense canopy above. Hylek might spring down to destroy them, or Wyvern might fly through the openings in the branches. All the time he hoped that this would happen, that they could be given a chance to escape. But nothing came to their aid.

Ead sighed and nudged Contuirt awake with his foot. Startled, the necromancer raises a fist to swing, before realizing he is safe. Safer than he was in the dream, anyway.

"They're coming Con. Get ready for the fight." Ead says softly and Contuirt nods glumly.

The inquest walk around a bend, along with ten shiny red golems. One of the asurans in front carries a clipboards and already they begin marking observations.

"Subjects are alive and well. Cage seems to be operational, no noticeable wear and tear. Electric field is alive." He taps on the cage. "And still active. Everything is in prime condition sir." He says the last words to a very old looking asura, who is stroking his beard in thought.

"Alright." The asuran in command says. "Lower the containment field on the southern side and make sure that they can fight."

"Yes sir!" Three inquest salute him before rushing off to press the appropriate buttons and the shield holding the two sylvari fades.

They quickly jump up and take off running into the trees like they have so many times before. They ran until they came to the larger cage wall. Then they sat and waited.

"Who do you think will be our enemy this time Ead?" Contuirt asked in a whisper.

"Mordrem." He answers in an equally quiet voice "I can hear their footsteps. Listen, it sounds like trees being uprooted." He brings a hand up to his ear.

The Mordrem slowly get closer and closer until Ead can see the Thrashers just above the bushes. He stands and helps Contuirt up. Then they both draw their daggers and face the oncoming threat.

They are still watching. Ead can see their cameras all throughout the jungle. The asurans want to know how the Sylvari will act against the Mordrem. Will their will suddenly break and they will allow themselves to be killed? Will they join the Mordrem? Will they find a new power from inside to control the Mordrem? So many experiments need to be made.

Each one promising more pain. That's why they need to escape.

The fight was easy. So many fights against Mordrem made it known where the weakness were. Contuirt's necromancy could easily blind the beasts, then Ead aimed for the center of their chest with his many throwing knives. They are easily dispatched.

"Well-Done." The backpack on Contuirt's back chirps. "Please-Return-To-The-Cage-For-Study."

Ead and Contuirt look at each other. "You ready to try again?" Ead asks.

Contuirt nods and they both kneel down into a racer position. The backpack chirps again. "Do-Not-Attempt-To-Escape. Escape-Will-Lead-To-Punishment."

"Oh shut up. It is the only fun we have these days." Contuirt growls at it. Then they take off running toward the trees where the Mordrem came from.

They stop at the edge of the cage and jump onto a bouncing mushroom. As they soar through the air, sirens are activated below them and they look at each other.

"Here they come!" Ead shouts when they land on one of the higher branches. They run along the length of the branch, overlooking the compound they were being held in. Golems begin activating, being launched into the air by cannons and landing with a thud onto the branch.

Slowly the golem's power up and begin to chase after them.

Together Ead and Contuirt leap off the edge of the branch, cheering. Then they activate their gliders they made of leaves delicately put together and they begin to glide away.

"Do you think we will make it this time?" Contuirt shouts as he flies under his friend.

"Of course! We disabled one part of the fence. After we get through that it will be easy to avoid the inquest. The problem is getting out of the Jungle." Ead turns his glider toward the landmark they had pointed out when they planned this escape. The huge, grotesque tree used by the Mordrem loomed beneath them.

"After this, what will you do?" Ead asks his comrade.

"Probably go back home to the Grove. I have seen enough of the world for a long time." Contuirt points to the small opening in the massive electric field. "By the Pale Tree! You did it Ead! We are gonna escape!"

Shots begin from below. Golems have begun firing at them finally from the side walls. They dodge and weave through the shots. For a moment Ead thinks they will both make it out alive. Then a single shot hits Contuirt in the chest.

His glider straps become severely damaged. Alarmed, he begins to fumble with the straps, trying to hold them together while remaining on course.

Ead looks back at him for a moment. Contuirt looks at him, desperate for help. But Ead knows he can do nothing to assist.

Contuirt's pack gets shot again, this time in the right wing, and he begins spinning out of control. He yells at Ead when he turns around. "THIS IS YOUR ONLY CHANCE! GET OUT AND COME BACK FOR ME!" Then he takes off the glider and plummets back into the foliage.

"I'll come back. I swear." Ead whispers, more to himself than anyone else. Then he flies through the open electric field and into the dense brush of trees.

He lands on a small cliff near the top of a mesa in the middle of a huge valley. He turns and looks back at the dome, now beginning to activate a camouflage to hide it. His survivalist mind quickly marks down any and all landmarks, so he can easily find the place again and rescue his fellow prisoner.

As he begins to fly again, a branch swings down and smacks him out of the sky. With a cry of pain, he falls to the ground. Just as he lands, he rolls to absorb some of the blow.

The jungle itself is against him. He needs to tread carefully. He brings up his hood and begins to trudge in a random direction, hoping to find someone to help him.

The jungle seems to have eyes. Everywhere he looks he feels like he is being watched. And it is so humid! Ead swore he could fill a bucket with the amount he was sweating.

He brought his hand up to wipe away the sweat building on his brow. As he swipes, something moves out of the corner of his eye. Fighter instinct kick in as he draws a dagger, ready to throw.

It's a deer. A lone doe seemingly lost in the jungle. To Ead it is a graceful creature. To his hunger, it is a meal fit for a god.

He crouches low, making sure to get as close as possible to the beast so his dagger can really damage it. As he creeps through the dense underbrush, taking care that each step is delicate and thought out, a sound resonates through the trees.

A roar echoes through the jungle and a Wyvern swoops down to grab the poor deer. Normally this wouldn't bother Ead to see nature run its course but that was HIS food. Overcome with rage, he throws a dagger at the leg of the giant monster.

It roars in pain and drops the deer, now bleeding from multiple cuts from the Wyvern's talons. It turns around swiftly to kill the fool who tried to take its meal.

Landing with a smash, it takes another knife directly in its chest before it sees its target. A glow starts in its throat and climbs to its mouth, just as the Wyvern spews flames hot enough not to burn the bushes, but melt them.

Ead runs out of the way of the deadly stream, making certain to land a few dagger throws as the wyvern attempts to cease its attack. Then the tail whips around and smacks him in the face, sending him flying backward.

He wipes away the blood dripping from his nose and draws a knife he got off one of the jungle hylek. He throws the poisoned dagger at the Wyvern's left eye.

It lands directly under the target, slashing the lower eyelid. The poison quickly destroys the Wyvern's left eye, leaving it half blind, but in its pain and rage it successfully strikes his back with the spikes on its wings.

He cries out as the spike digs into his back, easily punching through his old leather armor and cutting a gash into his skin.

The Wyvern roars in triumph and lowers its head down to look at the weakling who had tried to kill it. Its eye is still red from the blood and poison and it looks at the cause with hatred. It brings its head back and opens its maw, ready to roast this strange creature.

Ead feels like he is out of his body watching the whole thing. Down on the ground, bleeding out in front of a giant fire-breathing two-legged lizard was not the way he wanted to die. Now he won't be able to save Contuirt from those devils in the dome.

A sharp twang is barely audible over the roar of the flames, but the Wyvern notices. Turning its head toward the source, its reward is an arrow directly in its right eye.

The Wyvern claws at the arrow, roaring in pain once more. Its whole world has been plunged into darkness and it is disorientated by it and the pain. It swings its tail wildly, hoping by some chance it would kill the creature that caused it so much pain and agony.

Ead seizes the opportunity quickly, running off into the jungle to leave behind the monster. However, it must realize its sight can no longer help it, so it instead takes a deep breath of the air, catching the scent of its prey, and it roars again in triumph.

Ead doesn't care about the roar, just running in any random direction to lose the beast. He turns left and leaps over a boulder, landing in a slight ditch with a soft squelch. He can hear the Wyvern slamming trees out of its way to find him, but that doesn't matter. He has to find help.

Suddenly the Wyvern bellows in pain and Ead takes a quick glance over his shoulder to see someone clad in an amazing display of gold and green armor leap from a branch above the Wyvern, landing on his head. Then he buries both his swords, one black and one gold, deep into the skull of the beast.

He laughs as the Wyvern whips its head trying to shake him off. "Cmon friend! Come help me slay the dragon!"

Realizing this might be the only other person in miles, Ead swings around and dives under the beast, slashing his knives against the slightly softer underbelly.

The Wyvern groans deep in its throat, unable to stand the pain anymore. It topples to the side, its breathing coming in short gasps and its eyes grow glassy and dull.

The Sylvari lands next to Ead, patting him on the back. "What a great prize! You are quite good live bait." He says, smirking

Ead looks at this smiling sylvari, then at the corpse of the Wyvern, then back at the sylvari. "He just tried to kill me." He says, pointing at the reptile now already gathering insects. "And you are smiling? What is wrong with you?"

The sylvari raises his hands defensively. "I was just trying to make good on a bad situation. Way I see it, you were in the wrong for even challenging the poor beast."

"ME?! I was hungry and it was my prey first!" Ead's shouting startles a flock of parrots, but he ignores their startled squawks. "I haven't eaten at all today! I was supposed to get my meal after I esca-"

Suddenly Ead remembers the dome he left behind. He remembers Contuirt still inside there. He looks at the sylvari now looking at him with a emotionless expression.

"I need your help. I had to abandon my friend inside a great big dome that the Inquest built in the jungle to perform experiments on us. Now I have escaped but he needs my help, and I don't want to think about what they are doing to him. Please sir." He begs the sylvari.

"No need to call me sir friend. Saint will do." His voice is even, despite calling Ead his friend and the panic in Ead's voice. "Where is this dome?"

"Back the way I came. I know the way completely. But we need to find more soldiers. This place will be even more locked down now that I escaped."

Nodding along with what Ead is saying, Saint begins to walk in the direction Ead pointed in, brushing bushes away with his sword.

"Did you not hear me? It is likely going to be a riot in there! People are going to be everywhere!' Ead walks alongside the determined looking sylvari, angry to find such a stupid person as Contuirt's only savior. "We will be captured again! We will be kil-"

"You know," Saint stops and looks at Ead with an angry look. "The humans have a very common saying I adore. Can you guess it?" He pauses only for a moment. Ead says nothing. "It is 'One Ranger, One Riot.' I think it sums up our predicament quite well."

Then he resumes his march through the jungle. Stunned, Ead jogs alongside him, trying to convince him to stop. He even threatens him but only gets laughed at in return.

"I know this jungle like the inscription on my blade. You would never catch me if I choose to run." Then his expression softens. "I don't want to do anything drastic. We are just gonna sneak in, rescue your friend, and sneak out."

Ead looks over Saint skeptically. "Not to be rude but your armor doesn't exactly scream stealth. You look more made for a party." Which is true. The jewelry all along his armor gleamed in the filtered sunlight.

"Don't worry, I have a trick for that." Saint smiles and touches the hilt of his sword, as if it alone can save Contuirt. "You are looking at a master of stealth my friend."

They continue to walk toward the dome, passing the landmarks Ead remembered. Saint even pointed out a few more, like a hylek village hidden in the trees.

When they reach the dome Saint crouches low, as if doing so won't make him shine in the sun. Dumbfounded, Ead follows him, slightly impressed at the Ranger's silent movement.

Together they circle around the dome, finding the entrance easy. A wide open gate has been cut into the metallic bottom of the electric dome, and every so often golems would march out of the jungle, carrying logs and plants inside different pots.

Saint growls angrily. "I wish I had found this sooner. I would have brought an army to crush this place." He looks disgusted. "Such a perversion to this beautiful jungle."

Saint then begins to sneak up to the gate, seemingly oblivious to the golems that just left. Ead follows as close as he dares, worried that they will be spotted.

Luckily the 'hangar' is empty when they enter, and they easily slip past into a large hallway. One side of it is dominated by large glass windows, each with a different jungle creature or plant inside. Asuran stand by with tiny electronic clipboard ready to mark down any important changes.

Saint draws his black sword softly from its scabbard, smirking at Ead. "Watch this." He mouths, then his sword begins to glow with a black energy.

No, not glow. It is absorbing the light around Saint! Ead steps back, nearly tripping over himself, as the shine from Saint's armor fades to nothing, followed by any light near him. Eventually it becomes so dark Saint has become near invisible. Only a onyx gem still glows on his entire person. Not even his eyes can be seen.

"Woah." Ead breathes. Saint makes a waving motion, and ghosts down the way through the hallway. To anyone looking at where they walk, they would only see a slight darkness, a shadow moving across the ground. Not even noticeable.

"Told you I'm a master of stealth." Saint whispers. "These 'geniuses' won't hear anything above their experiments and will never turn around. Now let's find where they are holding your comrade."

Ead now takes the lead, walking just on the edge of the artificial shadow. Thank god that there are maps along all the walls, and with their new ability they can get as close as they wish.

"There!" Ead whispers and points to a large square just on the inside of the dome, with one side of the square touching the outer wall. "That is where we... I escaped." Ead chokes up slightly but no asurans are nearby to notice to slight sound.

They ghost down the corridors of the compound passing so many torturous experiments against beast and bush alike. "I am going to destroy this place." Saint vows.

They reach the entrance of the chamber with ease. However they are equally surprised to find the doors firmly shut.

"This door was never shut before. It was always a force field, so they could see us." Ead muttered, reaching forward to touch a control panel and attempt to open the door. Saint grabs his arm, pointing to the sign on the wall.

Area-Under-Lockdown-For-Wall-Repairs. Patient-407-Escaped. Patient-408-Deceased.

"Deceased?!" Ead shouts, then cringes as Saint closes a hand over his mouth forcefully. They both listen to soldiers nearby cries of surprise at the strange sound. Luckily only two soldiers are sent to check it, thinking it is a bird.

"Didn't sound like any bird I've ever heard." A female voice states. "I have, after all, been studying the animals in the general area."

"So you are so eager to point out. Now shut up. This might be a new species you haven't seen yet." Another asuran, this one male, demands the female.

The two turn the corner, walking directly past the dark shadow the sylvari are hiding. "Nope," the asuran on the right, the female, says. "No sign of animal activity. Check the door."

The male nods and runs over to the door, opening it only slightly. "Door is still working." He turns and looks right at the shadow. Only then does he notice. "Hold on Elise. Do you see that?"

Now Elise's eyes narrow. "I do indeed. Who's there?" She calls.

Ead draws a dagger and looks to Saint. "Kill one" He mouths. Ead nods and draws his arm back to throw. Then he releases it.

The dagger stabs the male in the eye, killing him easily. The female goes to scream but Saint is faster, rushing forward and clamping his hand against her mouth, then picking up the entire asuran and slamming her against the wall.

Smiling, he brings a finger up to her lips, shushing her even when he is choking her. "Miss. I have a friend who wants to question you. If you act like a good girl I will knock you unconscious. If not then." He pauses. "Then my friend will use one of his poison knives to kill you nice and slow and painfully. Understood?"

Elise's eyes widen and she nods vigorously. Slowly Saint lowers his hand away from her face. "Good girl. Ead?"

Ead walks toward the scared asura. "You!" She whispers, her voice as low as possible. "You're the bastard who escaped the dome!" She lets out a snort. "You are the most simple of simpletons if you think y-"

Her voice is cut off as Ead grabs her and lifts her off the ground again. "Where is Contuirt?" He whispers darkly into her ear.

"I'd answer him dove." Saint says with a smile on his face. "No telling what he may do to you."

"He is the one who was in the dome with you, right? He is gone!" Elise begins to cry now, knowing that her captors will not like this. "He didn't survive the fall. He fell onto Mordremoth's vine roots. I'm sorry!"

Ead drops her, and she lays on the ground with her hand raised defensively. "I am so sorry sir."

Saint stands behind Ead looking at the girl with malice. "You should kill her." He says to Ead, his voice smooth and silken. "She and her friends killed him. Avenge your friend."

Ead finds himself nodding along with Saint before he realizes. He wants vengeance for his friends, all the prisoners that were here. "But killing one won't solve it." He says aloud. "We need to destroy the compound."

Saint frowns at Ead's words but agrees. "I have the means. But I need you to promise me that no matter what you will trust me. Who knows, maybe I can teach you some things."

Ead's face lights up. "Can you teach me that spell or enchantment for your sword?" He points at Ba Mhaith, grabbing for it. Saint tears it away.

"Jealous much? This is a special sword that I can not recreate. Bathed in the blood of a corrupted... Adventurer, it drains the light out of an area. I can give you an entire army to lead and enough weapons to kill another army, but this blade is mine. So is his Sister."

Ead sighs. "I trust you, Saint. What is your plan?"

Saint gestures to the warhorn on his belt. "I can call in an entire army to destroy this place, but I need to make sure they know who is friend and foe. I need to send you through an 'initiation'. All you gotta do is follow me." He opens the gate to the cage. "We need to find where your friend died to find the vines. We may even find his corpse so you may pay your respects."

Ead's face goes grim as they begin trudging through the jungle. He knows where the pit is, he has avoided it as best he can. The Mordrem always scared him, even before he knew about their connection to Sylvari.

Ead leads the way to the pit. He turns to look at Saint behind him and frowns. Once he has gotten the help he needs from this strange Sylvari, he needs to ditch him. Shouldn't be too hard once they are in the jungle.

Saint suddenly takes the lead as they reach the pit. Vines whip around inside and moss climbs the walls. Water is at the bottom, making the dirt marshy. All in all, it is a very dangerous place to fall into.

"I don't see Contuirt. Do you think they got him out?" Ead says as he looks at the vines, looking for a sign of his friend. Hopefully he could survive the vines.

"I don't know." Saint says, startling Ead out of his thoughts. "In any case, I am glad he is not here. He might have gotten in the way of the trial."

"What t-" Ead's question is cut short as Saint shoves him into the pit, right on top of the vines.

"Saint! Help!" He screams, terrified of the vines.

Saint looks down at him and drops something into the pit, which immediately begins to release a pinkish pollen. "Don't worry Ead. I promised you an army. Mother will explain it."

"Mother?! Who is that?!" Ead's screeches fall on deaf ears as Saint turns and walks away, leaving Ead to the vines. However they refuse to attack him, and as he breathes more of the drug, he finds himself becoming more and more relaxed.

No! Don't trust them. They mean you harm. His thoughts are shrouded by a command from a voice that is not his own.

 _Lower your hood_

Ead reaches slowly for the hood around his head, knowing it is his last defense against what they have planned. But he sees no way out except compliance. His mind is throbbing as the voice begins to grow louder and louder. He pulls the hood down.

The second the hood is off his head, a vine stabs into the soft hole in the back of his skull and worms its way inside, leaving him a huddled ball of pain on the floor.

" _Awaken little one."_ A voice whispers _. "Let me cleanse you of your fears so you may live peacefully."_

He opens his eyes only to find he is no longer in the pit. In fact, he is high above it, atop one of the branches in the jungle.

Ead pulls his hood back up, then brings his hands up to his mouth and shouts. "Hello?" His voice echoes off of the trees.

"Ead! Cmon. Let us get out of here!" Ead turns in shock at the sound of Contuirt's voice. He has his glider on his back, and as Ead watches, he leaps off the branch.

"No!" Ead screams and leaps off after him. He activates his own glider and flies after his friend. "I won't let you fall this time Con!"

Contuirt glances at him confused. "What are you talking about Ead? We are getting out of here!" He laughs, spinning gracefully in the air.

Ead keeps his eyes on the ground, searching for the guns that would shoot him down when Contuirt shouts again. "Hey Ead. Hahaha. Help me!"

Contuirt has disabled the glider and is in full freefall toward the jungle floor. Ead quickly closes the wings on his glider and dives toward his friend.

Ead grabs onto Contuirt and holds onto him for dear life. The glider can barely keep them in the air and they begin to drop. Ead holds himself under Contuirt, who is laughing like a maniac, and braces to hit the ground.

" _Ead."_ The voice whispers. " _Trust no one."_

Ead grinds his teeth as branches smack his face, leaving him unable to see where they are about to crash. Contuirt is still laughing. "What's wrong? Afraid the jungle is against you?"

He swings at Ead and snaps the glider's wing, sending it spiralling to the ground.

Ead takes the full front of the crash, scraping his body against the ground. Contuirt also gets injured but he never shows the pain.

"Cmon Ead!" The laughter is gone. Contuirt sounds serious now. "If you can't survive a few scrapes and bruise you'll never survive the jungle."

Ead gasps in pain as Contuirt kicks him in the chest. "Ead." He whispers, his voice alarmingly close and venomous. "Get up friend. The fun has only begun. After all, I am not the only one who died in that compound."

Ead almost gets time to ask what he means before another kick to the head. More follow it, and Ead realizes he is surrounded. But by who.

"Could have saved us all Ead. You let us die." A voice sneers. He recognizes it easy.

"Prio?" Ead whispers. She was eaten by a Wyvern that broke the electric field. How is she here?

"We are all here Ead," Prio snickers. "We are all here to punish you for letting us die!" The kicking started again, and this time Ead knew exactly who they were.

His fellow 'inmates' were all around him, kicking him and sneering at him. Each blow caused him to cry out. "It wasn't my fault you were too weak to survive."

"Oh, so we were weak? We died because the big strong Ead didn't save us? Oh forgive us." Contuirt growls. "No. You refused to do anything because you were weak."

"I couldn't!" Ead shrieks, but the beating continues. In his agony, he almost doesn't hear the roar of a beast overhead.

" _Do not worry little one. I will keep you safe."_

The others cease their attack to look up. Ead is only able to see a shadow of a large paw slam into the sylvari, sending most sailing off the branch. Ead looks up at the new, possibly dangerous threat through a black eye.

" _Do not worry little one. They will not hurt you."_ A voice soothes as the dragon lands above him, teeth bared and claws digging into the branch with a show of force. One sylvari rushes forward and slips between her to get to Ead only to get stabbed by the dragon's tail.

The other quickly come to their senses and turn to run. Ead staggers to his feet and raises his hand weakly toward them. "Don't go." He moans, the words causing him more pain.

Contuirt looks back and Ead can see hatred and malice in his eyes, something he had never seen from the cheerful, never-give-up necromancer. "You are to blame for our deaths." He shouts as the others jump off the branch. "May you never be happy again." Then he follows the others.

Ead can feel tears on his cheeks, burning the wounds. He turns around to walk away, only to come face to snout with the dragon. One of its big eyes looks directly at him.

 _"Do not cry little one. They wouldn't hurt you."_ A voice in his head repeats. He quickly links it to the dragon.

"You can talk?" He asks the beast.

" _I don't see why not."_ The dragon states. _"After all, I am not just some lawless beast."_ It smirks slightly.

"Why am I here? Who are you?" The questions pour out of Ead's mouth. "Why was everyone attacking me? Who was that Saint guy? Where did he get those weapons? How can I get the army he promised me?"

Without missing a beat, the dragon lists off the answers easily. _"You are within your nightmares. They were attacking you because that is what you fear. Saint is my soldier and he got his weapons and army from me. I am Mordremoth. You may call me Mother."_

"Mother?" Ead lets out a short bark of laughter. "And why would I call you that?"

An image flashes through his mind. Mordremoth is looking over a small rock; Nurturing it and caring for it. She then gives it to a group of Mordrem, who carry it underground into a cave.

" _I trusted you to my troops so you could awaken alongside me. Instead a evil human and centaur working together took the seed. I was unable to save my children. But look how strong you have grown up!"_ Mordremoth attempts to nuzzle Ead but he dodges out of the way. She sighs. _"I wish you could trust me little one. I only want to help."_

"You want to help?" Ead repeats. "You can't bring them back." He points to the edge of the branch. "And you can't destroy the p-" Then he realizes who he is talking to again.

"Will you help me destroy them?" He begs Mordremoth. "I will do anything."

" _Swear your loyalty,"_ She says calmly. _"and I will give you an army to trample the people who have done so much to you."_

Ead brings a hand to his heart and raises the other one. "I swear." Then his face grows grim. "Now tell me how I can destroy the Inquest."

" _Saint will be there to assist you. I am sorry I cannot give you more power but you are nowhere near me to be Reborn."_ The dream shimmers and shakes. _"Don't worry little one. We will have our revenge on the surface. Together. You will guard my jungle, it will give you strength, and with it's blessing we will be able to eradicate all evil races in Tyria."_

 **Wow. I really need tips on how to end a story. Anybody want to comment or PM me, feel free.  
**


	4. Pycha's Story

**I was planning on getting every story out before the release. I think I won't be able to make it. Also, I long realized that Mordremoth has a male voice, but she/he could easily lie to the Sylvari. They can hear a female while everyone else hears male.**

"The Sylvan Guinea Pig." Zustatek mumbles. "A fitting name."

Caru nods glumly, her eyes downcast. "He lost a lot, but so have we all. We each have our own person or people to mourn." She sighs. "The only question is how you do it."

Zustatek raises an eyebrow in question. "What does that mean?"

"Well look at Saint." Caru raises one hand. "Ask him what he did before Mother and he is more than eager to talk about his want for revenge. On the other hand." Caru raises her other hand. "Ead refuses to talk about his past at all. We had to learn it from Mother."

Zustatek nods in understanding. "What about Pycha?"

Caru cringes. "I recommend not bringing up her backstory. She gets incredibly depressed about the life she left behind."

"Which is?" Zustatek asks.

"Pycha was a pirate, First Mate actually, aboard the Killer Karka." Caru smiles at Zustatek's confused expression. "Weird name, I know, but she has apparently seen weirder. Anyway, she had fun on that ship, robbing every ship that dared to come near them. They plundered other pirate's caves and generally explored the sea at their own leisure."

"Then the captain of the ship died in the midst of a heated battle with the lionguard. Cannonball straight to the skull. A tragic death, especially seeing as how he didn't get to see their victory."

"Strangely he left a will for Pycha describing exactly what he wanted done."

Pycha stood in front of the shaking asuran, rereading the page. "He wants HIM as MY First Mate?!"

The asuran nods, clearing his throat to read the chicken-scratch writing. "The ship is to be given to Pycha. She is the only one i trust to protect her. As a first mate, i demand that Scald is enlisted. He will be the heartless to Pycha's justice. He can keep the crew in line."

He looks at the charr and nods. The captain knew what he was doing. "The crew knows how strong Pycha is. You know how to follow her orders. Now make me proud."

Scald snorts through his nose. "Always one to make us depressed, aren't you Zekk?" Pycha turns to berate him before realizing the charr's eyes are watery, not any different from her own. She quickly shuts her mouth.

"Well." Pycha says, struggling to keep her voice in check. "Let's tell the crew." She turns and leaves the captain's quarters, with Scald slowly bringing up the rear.

The crew looks expectantly at her as she clears her throat to speak. "I am your captain now." Her voice is small compared to the voice of the crew as they erupt in cheers. "Let's get ready to set sail!"

Scald immediately gets to work, making sure the others know what they are doing. Pycha grabs the wheel and calls for full sail, ready to head off into the great blue sea.

Three full hours pass before they spot another ship. Pycha sighs in sadness. There used to be more ships around here.

The enemy ship readies its cannons toward them. "They have more weapons than us, captain!" Scald says to her from his point on her left. "Are you sure this is a good first target?"

"I want the crew to learn to trust me! We take this and I earn their trust." Pycha says to him calmly, leaving him shaking his mane in frustration. "Ready portside cannons!"

The crew sets the cannons and loads them. Pycha lines up her ship with the enemy and screams. "Fire!"

The cannonballs puncture the hull, none hitting low enough to cause any chance of sinkage. The ship returns fire, but the attack does nothing to the Karka. Most cannons were not operational from the attack.

Emboldened, Pycha turns the ship and slams the ram against the side, scraping all along the side of the ship. "Hooks away!" She shouts, but the crew has already grabbed them and hurled them to the side of the ship, dragging it closer.

"Boarding party go!" She shouts and beckons to Scald. "Take the wheel." Then she grabs a rope resting against the side of her ship and swings onto the other ship.

She rolls as she lands, grabbing the pistols strapped to her waist and blasting two people in front of her. As she gains her bearings she jumps onto a box and grabs her rifle, blasting anyone who got too close to her or her crew.

The ship's smoking deck makes the shots difficult, but she never hits a teammate. Soon she hears the captain calling out from the helm. "We surrender!"

Smiling, Pycha runs up the steps and laughs at the terrified crew on their knees. "Congratulations! You just earned your chance of surviving." She waves over to Scald and he orders the crew to grab as much loot as they can fit in the hold. "You will be kept on this ship with no weapons and no navigational tools. You can sail to anywhere you wish, if you can find it."

Scald whistles to her in three rising notes and she leaps onto her ship. "Good luck at sea! Safe travels." She calls, a smirk spread across her face.

Scald isn't so happy. He growls at her as she grasps the wheel and calls for half sail. "You should have killed them all. Stupid decision to let them leave for port." He gestures toward the ship. "Now they will just go squealing to the Lionguard."

"We don't need to murder everyone we see. The others can do that." She gets the ship on route when the Sylvari atop the Crow's Nest shouts to her.

"The ship we left has some friends!" Startled, Pycha grabs her telescope and stares at the new arrivals. Scald beats her to the curse she was about to shout.

"Burn me, it's a Man-O-War!" Scald hisses. "We need to get out of here."

Pycha runs to the wheel, screaming for full sail. Startled, the crew almost trip over themselves getting the sails up and Pycha looks worriedly over her shoulder. The beast of a ship has twenty-six cannons at a glance. She has ten. They have mortars. She has fire barrels.

Unless she wants to end up swimming with the Krait, she has to run.

"Full sail! We have to stay ahead of that monster!" She shouts, spinning the wheel to a full turn. The crew grabs onto the rail as the ship flies across the sea.

The mortars fire at the Karka, slamming onto the deck and throwing people overboard. Horrified, the crew clasps the side as hard as possible.

Pycha turns the ship away from the shower of lead when one of the balls slams next to her, knocking her off the wheel and onto the deck.

She feels the ship, now without a captain, lurch toward the coastline under Rata sum. She goes to stand but is thrown at the railing in a daze. She vaguely hears Scald shouting to abandon ship but is unable to move.

The ground lurches beneath her as the ship slams into the beach, scraping the sand. She screams as the ship falls on its starboard side, sending her sailing to the scorched earth below. Then a loud bang makes her ears ring and she shrieks in agony, bleeding from her ears.

Terrified, she covers her ears and tries to hide in the sands, trying to make herself look smaller to the Man-O-War. She lays in the sand for five minutes waiting to be blasted into nothing yet no death comes.

Slowly and carefully she lifts her head and looks toward the sea. Seeing the ship, she dares not to move anymore and she waits even longer.

"Miss!" Pycha doesn't flinch at the sound of the voice, choosing instead to continue playing dead. "Miss, I saw you move! Do you want out of here or not?" Son of a Skritt.

Pycha feels arms grasp her sides and she fights against it. "Miss please be still!" The voice whispers. "I need to get you out of the ship's sight." He drags her toward the Killer Karka, resting her against the hull and gently touching her chest. "Just gonna check you for wounds. Keep still."

"I'm fine." She murmurs, her voice shifting to the pirate voice she knows. "Look after me crew."

"I doubt that lass." The stranger says in his own accent. She gasps in pain as his hands graze over a large bruise on her side she never noticed. He smirks. "See? Besides," he leans back to give her a better view of what is around them. "I don't think anyone else survived the explosion"

Pycha gasps at the blood soaked beach, covered in bodies of different races. All in the cloths she recognizes so well. "No." She whimpers. She reaches up and shoves the Sylvari back, rushing over to the charr body in front of her.

"Scald." She says, tears forming in her eyes. "I just got to be captain, and already I have gotten everyone killed. I never deserved to be your leader."

"Miss. I need to heal that wound. Please hold still." The Sylvari gently touches her shoulder and turns her away from the beach. "Wrap your arm around me and I'll help you to the forest."

Pycha smacks his arm away. "I can walk." She growls, standing up quickly.

Pain rockets up her side and she sinks back to the ground, gasping for breath.

"Can't wait for you to trust me." The Sylvari mutters as he reaches down to pick her up. She reluctantly takes his hand and they walk to the forest line.

"What is your name?" Pycha asks as he sets her down at the base of a old oak tree. A bird inside the tree flutters away at her voice.

"My name's Saint. I was walking along the beach when I saw your ship running from the Man-O-War. I decided to follow just in time to see you fly off the side of the exploding ship." Saint says. "Sorry about that by the way."

"Don't be." Pycha mutters. "Not as if you could have done anything about it."

Saint nods, reaching into his back to grab a small bottle. Uncorking it, he smiles at her. "Troll's Unguent. This stuff works miracles on any wound." Then the smile disappeared to be replaced with a nervous look. "I am going to remove your shirt now." He brings his eyes up to her own. "You okay with that?"

Pycha nods weakly, suddenly feeling very tired. Saint pulls off her shirt and softly rubs the medicine into her skin. She moans as she feels the bruise heal without any pain. "You are a lifesaver." She whispers.

"That is what Saints do, ain't it?" He laughs. "Now, let's get off the ground and see if you can walk."

Pycha takes his hand and pulls herself up to standing, smiling at the lack of pain shooting up her side. "Thank you so much for the help." Pycha says to Saint. "I owe you so much."

"Don't mention it. Not like I would have left you to die.." Saint trails off near the end, his eyes facing the sea. "Oh Mother." He whispers, confusing Pycha as she glances backwards.

The Man-O-War has dropped anchor, deciding now to search the wreckage of the Killer Karka for possible survivors. "We need to leave now." Saint says to her, grabbing her hand and running into the forest.

They rush into the trees just as rowboats from the ship begin dropping into the water. Pycha follows Saint blindly, not caring where he is leading her as long as it is away from here. Away from the carnage.

 _I always wanted to be a captain. Now I never will know what it is like._

Deep in thought, Pycha almost doesn't notice the sheer drop until Saint grabs her and yanks her back. "Owe me again." He smiles before running along the edge.

The enormous canyon has a lone river at the bottom with jagged rocks sticking out at odd angles. Pycha shudders to think of falling onto those killers.

After a short while Saint stops to catch his breath. "Ok." He gasps. "I think we can slow down."

Pycha lowers herself to the ground, stretching as the energy in her veins shrinks. "I owe you a great debt." She pauses to take a deep breath. "You saved my life twice. Should you allow me accompany you, I would be very grateful."

Saint smiles. "You sound like a storybook character." He raises a hand as Pycha opens her mouth. "I didn't say no. This forest is dangerous and I could use someone to watch my back. I would appreciate the help." He pauses before continuing. "Maybe you could join my army. You could easily gain your own part of the army should you prove yourself to me."

Pycha frowns at the suggestion. "I shouldn't need to prove anything. I just survived an attack from a Lionguard Man-O-War, as well as an explosion."

"Yes, you have a very lucky streak. I want to know about your skill level." Saint explains. "I notice you have four pistols and a rifle on your person. Are you as accurate as me? As fast or strong?"

Pycha snorts disdainfully. "I am a better shot than anyone in my life. I don't know about speed of strength but you will never be as good as me, kid."

Pycha doesn't even see Saint raise his hand or him bring it back down. All she knows is after that comment she found herself on the ground from a red handprint on her cheek.

"What the hell was that for?!" Pycha growls.

Saint stands above her with a furious look in his eyes. "I challenge you to a shooting competition. I win, you join me. You win, I will let you leave the jungle with no debt to me."

Pycha growls at him and wrenches her ankle away. "Fine! That doesn't give you any right to slap me."

Saint swallows and looks saddened. "Yes that was… uncalled for. I apologize." Then he walks away, mumbling to himself. All Pycha catches is "One word...Enraged."

Eventually Saint leads her to a small clearing. Standing at one side, he takes a knife and carefully carves a target into its side. Patting it, he says. "Now go to the other side." Walking over the tall grass in the clearing to the far side.

Pycha raises an eyebrow as the Saint's normally pleasant face shifts to one of extreme determination as they take a stand. She gestures for him to go first and he only nods, raising his bow to eye level. Taking a deep breath, he lets the arrow fly.

With a loud thunk, it lodges itself directly within the center of the two circles.

Pycha stares at the shot in disbelief. Nobody she had seen could make that kind of shot with a rifle, much less a bow. However she keeps her cool and raises her rifle.

Setting the sight on the arrow itself, she fires a round at the old tree.

As they approach the tree to check, Pycha confesses. "I was going to join your army anyway." Saint raises an eyebrow. "I am more than likely wanted in every city around Tyria. To try to go anywhere and they would sentence me to a hanging, if I am lucky."

Saint nods. "Well I wouldn't want to see you meet such a gruesome end. I am glad you will join my army." He reaches a hand out and Pycha shakes it gratefully. "Now, let us see how we did."

Saint and Pycha both stare in shock at their shots. Saint is the first to speak. "If this wasn't such a crude drawing of a target, this would be easier to choose a victor."

Pycha nods and gently runs her finger along the hole directly next to Saint's arrow. She grabs her bullet out of it and lifts it to eye level. "We'll need to try again when we have an actual judge." She pockets the bullet and turns to Saint. "Now let's go to your army."

Saint nods and leads the way through the forest to a canyon. All around it large vines have sprouted from the ground, creating bridges from one side to another. Saint walks calmly over the vine, leading Pycha to the other side.

As Pycha makes it the end, the vine suddenly retracts under her, taking some of the earth with it.

Startled, Pycha flops forward, sliding over the edge. She screams and grasps at the dirt but it crumples in her hands.

Saint grabs her hand, yanking her onto solid ground. He shouts at the vine and it recoils in fear.

"What is that!?" Pycha asks, her heart racing.

"That," Saint answers. "Was a Mordrem. A part of my army, and the answer to all your prayers."

Pycha cowers from the vine. "What is a Mordrem?!" Suddenly Pycha remembers rumors from port, where a new dragon had supposedly awoken. "You work for the dragons?!"

Saint nods. "Specifically I serve Mordremoth, True Mother to the Sylvari and the Eradicator of Humanity."

"You're insane!" Pycha screeches.

"I AM ENLIGHTENED!" Saint shouts. "I have power above any of our kin! Why would you mind if the dragons eradicated the weaker races? They will have you killed for what you have done."

"Because I have killed so many of them!" Pycha growls. "They might as well have a right."

"Then Mother has a right to do this." Saint says. "Ionsai!" He points at the vine, then makes a stabbing motion at Pycha.

Confused, Pycha turns back to the vine when her captain's hat is knocked off the edge. She whips back around to attack Saint when the vine buries itself into her skull, draining her of all feeling.

She tries to fight it when a voice whispers _"Don't worry Pycha. I mean you know harm."_ Pycha squirms wherever she is but can't feel it, only sense it.

Terrified, Pycha screams at the empty air. "Who are you?"

 _"I am Mordremoth, Mother of the Sylvari and Creator of the Mordrem. Saint brought you to me because he believes you_ _are strong enough to join my ranks. As with many of my children, I notice you have suffered dearly."_

An image flashes in Pycha's head; her ship being beached in the forest, followed by the explosion that shakes the sand.

Pycha shakes in fear as she is wrenched from the flashback. "I won't help you! You're a monster!"

 _"Pycha!"_ The dragon's voice sounds annoyed. _"What have I done to you to deserve that insult?"_

"You are going to destroy the world! I cannot trust you!"

 _"So many lies."_ Mordremoth sighs _"Humans will always be afraid of what they can't control. Little one, I am not going to destroy the world, nor do I want to rule it. They spread rumors about my species so they can gain the trust of others. I just want humanity gone off the face of Tyria. Why do they need your respect?"_

Pycha growls lowly, but the dragon has a point. They are the ones who demand the highest price on her head. "Saint told me you would help me grow better. You can give me my greatest desire.

 _"I cannot give what I do not know."_

 _"_ I want to be in a good group. I want people I can be proud to fight beside."

 _"An easy wish to grant. My armies would easily give you a home."_

"Will I be recognized? Will I gain powerful weapons?"

 _"Only the best for my children"_ Mordremoth chimes, then her voice grows serious. _"Do you accept my power?"_

Pychathinks only for a moment before deciding. "I accept."

 _"Excellent. Saint will outfit you when you awaken."_

"That can wait." Pycha states. "First I have to prove I am a better shot."

 **And that's the end. I will still upload the others so keep an eye out for that. I wanted this to be so much better but I can't think of a way to do it... If anyone has writing tips feel free to tell me.  
**


	5. Feargach's Story

**The next story, and I can't help but feel it is pretty good. At least the length is good. Maybe you disagree, but we all have an opinion. I also realized that Pycha accepted Mordremoth WAY too fast. I will try to fix that.**

"Wow." Zustatek murmurs. "Quite a story."

Caru brow furrows. "You don't sound impressed. Why?"

"Well." Zustatek shifts in her seat uncomfortably. "Pycha seems to have the most… boring of all of our stories. She was a pirate, yes, but she didn't really suffer like us."

"Not as if you are any better." Caru smirks. "Little Miss Lionguard Lacky."

Zustatek glares daggers at Caru. "I can have you beaten for that, Princess."

Caru smirks wider, and Zustatek swears she can even see Caru's eyes twinkle. "Yes, but my Prince would be there to save me. Then there would be 'Civil War' between the Mordrem and Mother would have to punish us, then we might fight back against her and." She stops suddenly. "Need I continue?"

Zustatek growls. "You have made your point. Let's just continue before I decide to fight you."

"Very well. The fifth of our family is Feargach. He was born a fighter, even if it was on accident." She pauses to giggle quietly. "He punched one of the mentors of the newborns when he got off the ground! He quickly mastered the elements and became the best elementalist in Caledon. Just like Mally, he grew tired of the greenery, but unlike Mally he wanted to win glory for himself, not his group."

"He found that he heavily enjoyed the Norn's way of life and he began traveling the mountains, joining any fighting competition he could find. Saint found out about him when he was one of the first of the other races to participate in the Norn's great hunt, but Mally was the one who approached him."

"Mally?" Zustatek interrupts, surprised. "Why was she interested in Feargach?"

"She saw someone who liked her way of life, I guess." Caru shrugs. "You'd have to ask her how she convinced Saint to let her recruit Feargach. But she did it."

Feargach watched with a smile plastered on his face as another opponent was carried out of the arena. Multiple burn wounds are visible on his face, and he moans at every jolt from the stretcher.

"Once again, Feargach has proven why he is our champ!" A large norn with a barrel for a chest announces from his place in a window. "Another challenger under his belt, and he hasn't even broken a sweat! Let's get another cheer for the champion!"

The crowd obeys, clapping for their champ. Feargach feeds of their praise like a drug, using it to get his blood pumping once more. "Only the foolish try to defeat me! I am the most powerful elementalist you will ever have the pleasure of seeing!" He points at the stretcher at the edge of the arena. "I dare any to challenge me! You will fall faster than any Norn has seen."

"What if it's a Sylvari?" A female voice asks from the middle of the crowd. They part in surprise to give Feargach a view of a single Sylvari standing alone. She confidently strides past the crowd and up to him.

"Is this an all new challenger? She isn't someone I have ever seen." The announcer calls. "What is your name, lass?"

"Name's Mally." She says calmly. "Malicious Mally, if it pleases the crowd. I wish to fight the champion."

Feargach can't help but burst out laughing at the claim. "Well Miss Mally." He chuckles. "Since I seem to be a little short on opponents anyway, you can go ahead and fight me now."

"No." Mally says sternly. "I will fight you tomorrow." She raises her hand to stop the crowd's angry uproar. "I want to see your full strength."

Now there is no stopping their anger: It crashes down like a waterfall at Mally, but she stands firm. Feargach must admit even he is impressed by her courage.

"Very well." He jumps off the ring, landing in front of her. "I accept." He extends his arm.

Mally takes it and they shake, signifying to all they accept that they are ready to fight whenever.

Feargach's home isn't much, but he proud of it. The homestead he bought with his prize money has a small training area in one corner, another with his bed, another with a tub, and one with multiple trophies. The fireplace always stays lit without a need for fuel thanks to his abilities, and with it he can live what the Norns would call a life of luxury.

But right now he is focusing on concentrating. Focusing his inner fire to demolish the straw effigy in front of him. Normally he would use a deer carcass, but straw burns just like a Sylvari to his surprise.

He takes a calm, deep breath in, then holds it, then finally releases it. It comes out as smoke. Smoke that smells of burning pine.

He smiles, knowing fully well that smell. He may not look at all like a Pine Tree, but it is how he smells.

He opens his eyes and stares at the effigy, picturing in his mind's eye Mally. She is laughing at him like she is one of those stubborn norns. She treats him like he is nothing, a speck on her boots.

He feels his anger pulse in his heart. Feargach pushes it out, into his veins where he can feel it better. The burning sensation of rage.

He roars aloud and steps forward, thrusting his arm out at the effigy. It bursts into flames in front of him, the red-orange monster reaching up towards the roof.

He smiles and calms the flame, knowing that the house can't withstand too much fire.

"Well Mally. I would like to see you survive that." he whispers to himself.

Feargach arrived early to the fight arena, entering through the back door to start making sure that the arena is in perfect shape. Can't have a sudden hole cost him the match.

The announcer is there with him, and together they sit in the stands, talking about past matches.

Finally he brings up the question Feargach was asking himself. "What do you think of the challenger?"

Feargach thinks about it for a moment before saying. "I think she is brave, not foolish. She obviously is confident in her abilities, despite knowing of my own skill. Maybe she wants to beat me, but I think there might be more." He takes a breath. "I think it might be like a test."

"Test?" The norn asks, eyebrow raised in suspicion. "What kind of test?"

"A test of my abilities. To see how I fight so she can give the info to someone else. Maybe she is working for an old rival, and he wants to know my weakness. Maybe she is going to hand me over to someone like the Sons of Svanir when she learns enough." He sighs. "Maybe I am reading into it too much."

The norn nods solemnly, standing up suddenly. "Well I am gonna open the doors."

Feargach smiles. "Wish me luck."

The announcer returns the smile. "Always. You are my favorite champ."

Feargach watches him walk away with a smile, knowing that outside the gate is a crowd waiting for him to absolutely demolish another challenger, and they are gonna fight themselves to get the best seats. This is the real reason why he always came to fights early.

Feargach sat in the small stool in his corner, tapping his hands against it impatiently. Mally is taking her sweet time. Usually Feargach's opponents would trip over themselves to be at least five minutes early.

Finally a door opposite to him swings open and Mally struts inside. The crowd goes silent to watch her. Feargach looks up through the window in the roof. Exactly noon.

Showing no emotion, she takes her place in the other corner and stares Feargach down. He returns it happily.

"Champion!" The announcer calls. "Are you ready?" Feargach roars in triumph.

"Challenger!" He calls again, louder to be heard over the crowd. "Are you ready?" Mally only nods.

"May the Spirits of the Wild grant you strength and speed." The announcer says finally. "Fight!"

Feargach opens up the fight with a summon of a flame axe. Mally uses the opportunity to close in on him, but he rushes past, scorching her with a wall of fire.

Mally quickly turns around and throws bolas at Feargach's legs. He blinks away in a flash of lightning and ends up behind her. Spinning on his heel, he slices at Mally's shoulder.

Mally rolls out of the way and throws her greatsword at him, before letting loose a beastly roar and punching Feargach in the face, stunning him.

She grabs her sword and slashes Feargach repeatedly on the back. He screams and summons a fiery greatsword, swinging it to beat away Mally.

It works, and she is forced to back away. They trade blows with the greatsword for a moment before Feargach steps back. Channeling power into the sword, he lobs multiple balls of fire at her.

In pure instinct, Mally uses her Mother-Blessed sword to slash each fireball into nothing. The crowd gasps at the feat as Mally stands triumphant.

"Your magic is weak!" Mally shouts. "Fight me fair."

"This is Fair!" Feargach retorts. "You don't like my fighting style, too bad! I have risen through the ranks of these fights using my anger to fuel my flame. I will not stop for anybody."

Mally snorts. "Anger? If this is your level of anger, then you might be weaker than I thought."

Feargach feels his blood boil at the idea of him being weak. He forces the fire in his body outward and it shows all over his body. He dispels the greatsword to allow the fire to conjure better in his hands. "This is the power that has made me be above weakness!" He yells, bringing his hands up to eye level. "I have destroyed countless with my fires of rage. You will be no different!"

He channels the fire and hurls it at Mally, who ducks and weaves past it all. She gets close to Feargach easily and slices his arms.

He falls to the ground in pain and Mally raises her greatsword above her head to stab him.

She brings it down with a roar of triumph just above Feargach's head, slamming into the ring with a slam. Silence follows as the crowd stares in shock and disbelief.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, against everything we have ever come to believe, the challenger has won!" The announcer shouts to break the silence. The crowd finally cheers, having gotten confirmation as to what they just witnessed.

Feargach is a bit slower to realize what happened. He lays there, staring at the sword above him in fear, and glancing at Mally staring down at him.

She smiles at him, reaching down to help him up. "Looks like I won." He takes her hand for a moment to stand before handing her the greatsword.

"I may have lost." Feargach says in a deceptively calm voice. "But I doubt you were here to take my 'throne'."

Mally raises her hands in mock surrender. "Wouldn't be able to any way. I can't take it back home with me." She looks at the crowd. "Yah hear that?" She shouts. "I don't want your champions title. Feargach is a worthy holder of it and I wouldn't want to take that from him."

The crowd is astonished at this exclamation, but they cheer none the less. Feargach has always been their favorite, and to some it was a heartbreak to see him lose. Now they know he won't disappear.

Mally and Feargach shake hands and then Mally climbs out of the ring. The crowd stares at her as she walks out of the building, waving and blowing kisses to the crowd. At the doors she turns around and makes a lavish bow before disappearing from sight.

Feargach walked the other direction to the prep room, already planning to get his best mercs. He needs to see who this girl is, and where she got her skills.

Feargach's comrades easily tracked Mally through the shiverpeaks, and Feargach caught up with her at Brisban. He made sure to keep a fair distance behind her, only following behind her when he couldn't see her. However all the while he felt like she was leading him somewhere.

His suspicions were confirmed when she led him to a remote part of the swamp in the dead of night. As she sat in a dry bit of dirt to eat, a shadow creeped up to her.

Feargach watched in shock as the shadow melted away to reveal another Sylvari in gold and green armor. He whispers something to Mally and gets a nod in confirmation.

"Feargach!" He calls into the swamp. "I know you are here. Come out so I can see how strong you are."

Feargach's breath catches in his throat. He freezes up against the tree and remains there.

"Feargach." The Sylvari calls. "Don't make me look for you." His footsteps draw closer. "I only want to give you something."

"Saint, calling him out like you're stalking him isn't cool!" Mally says. "Feargach please come out. You have won something great we wish to give you."

"That's right! A second chance, a chance to gain power, wisdom, and revenge!" Saint shouts, his voice growing nearer. "From what Mally has told me, you are a strong individual already. Now imagine that multiplied by ten!"

Feargach circles the tree as he gets closer, but only walks right into Mally. "There you are!" She says, grabbing him. He struggles against her but her arms are as strong as tree trunks.

"Hello Feargach." Saint says. "I am Saint, if you haven't figured that out. You seem to be very bright." He smiles. "I want to give you an offer. I am certain you heard what it entails."

Feargach growls. "You said something about power. Not interested." He struggles against Mally again, but only gets the same results. "Let me go!"

"Can't do that Feargach." Mally hums. "Not till you agree to start thinking about our offer, at least. Mother wants to give you power."

"I don't need power!" Feargach shouts. "I am already strong." He glares back at Mally as best he can. "Strong enough to beat you!"

He flares his inner fire and coats himself in it. Mally immediately dropped him, patting out the fires on her clothes, and goes to grab him again.

He summons the fire in his hand and shoots it forward. It morphs in the air into the phoenix, and with a mighty flap it slams into Mally, knocking her back.

"In the ring, there are rules." Feargach snarls. "Out here? Nothing but survival matters." He then turns to Saint, who already has drawn his swords.

"I'll scorch you to ashes." Feargach threatens, slipping his staff off his shoulder. Saint only spins his gold sword.

Feargach opens up by summoning a lava pool under Saint. Saint rolls away, then leaps over the pool and swings a downward slice at Feargach. He blocks it with the staff and conjures a fireball in his hand to force Saint away.

Saint dodges around Feargach and slices his back. Feargach shrugs it off and slaps him away with a twirl of his staff. Then he blasts himself away with a trail of fire.

"Ready for a shocking revelation?" Feargach asks, smiling. "I don't just use fire." He lifts his staff upward towards the clouds. A lightning bolt flashes and stabs it, forming around it into a hammer. " **N** ow let's duel."

He leaps forward through his fire trail, coating himself in a fiery aura, and slammed the hammer down next to Saint. The shockwave knocks him back, only to electrocute him on the ring of lightning.

Drawing the hammer back, Feargach slams into Saint and sends him flying over the ring. Saint picks himself up only to get electrocuted down to his knees. Feargach walks up to him with a large smirk.

"Some power." Feargach scoffs. "Especially seeing how well I am killing you. Mother's gift is USELESS in your hands!"

Saint stands slowly, nursing his side. "I believe," He pauses to carefully stand to full height. "you are thinking of the wrong Mother." Then he raises his hand and points at Feargach.

Confused, Feargach turns around to look behind him, but finds he can't move. He looks down and cries out in shock as vines covered in thorns wrap slowly up his legs, binding them.

He spins in a whirlwind of fire, but they hold strong against him. He shudders as they slowly crawl along his body, scratching at the exposed skin.

Saint brushes himself off as he smiles at Feargach's struggling. "When have you been able to do that?" Mally asks as she approaches. "I thought Mother only heard us in the jungle."

"No." Saint whispers. "Mother is always watching us in the earth. Her vines have reached all around the globe. You just need to connect with them." He reaches and pets one of the vines. "I have always been the most connected to Mother. She will always be with me."

Mally looks at the terrified face of Feargach as he tries to scream past the vine covering his mouth. "So can you do the ritual here? Like what you did with Pycha and Ead?"

Saint shakes his head. "Too far. I have to be in the jungle to force a connection with Mother. We need to convince him to come with us."

Mally snorts disdainfully. "After this?" She gestures to Feargach tied up, now only letting out pitiful whimpers as each spike touches his arms and legs. "How would we show him the truth?"

Saint sits down on a rock and thinks for a moment. Then, as Mally goes to sit down too, he jumps back up, startling her. "I got it!" He points at the vines. "Ligean dó dul." He commands.

The vines burrow away, letting Feargach drop slightly to the ground. Before he can even think about running, Saint punches him in the side of the head, knocking him out. Mally catches him before he could hit the ground and carefully lifts him up. "Mind telling me the plan?" She asks, heaving him over her shoulder.

Saint takes off in a jog toward the Silverwastes, leaving Mally to catch up. As they pass it Mally finally stops Saint. "What are you planning?" She asks again, making sure to keep her hand firmly gripping his shoulder.

Saint points ahead to the ravine. "We get there and I can call upon the Pitchiaric to take us to Mother." He shakes free of Mally and rushes to the edge, already sliding off his pack to grab his warhorn.

Mally snatches it away from him taking care not to drop Feargach as she avoids Saint stumbling backwards. "Are you crazy?!" She shouts. "We can't reveal it here! Too many chances of being seen."

Saint reaches for his pack but Mally holds it just above his reach. "The only creatures around are skritt. Nobody believes those revolting rodents."

Mally still holds the pack outside his reach. "They still might attack us. Remember, your Pitchiaric has a gold shine. Plus the Pitchiaric isn't exactly fast in its exits and arrivals like the Breacher."

"You got a better idea? We can't exactly walk through Camp Resolve." Saint steps away from her with his hands held in surrender. "Do what you will, but I want to get home before he wakes up."

Mally glares at him for a few more seconds before handing over the pack with a reluctant sigh. Saint grabs the warhorn out of the middle pouch and brings it up to his lips, playing six short notes.

Silence follows afterward and Saint lowers himself to the ground, taking care to not sit on the muddy ground and on a rock instead.

Mally scans the horizon looking for anything that heard the warhorn. After three minutes she shrugs and sets Feargach down on the hot sand, crouching next to him. "So has he proven himself?" She asks, nodding to Feargach.

Saint nods. "He hits like a runaway Wyvern, and with just as much elemental power. Mother will like him too. He's feisty and, if what you said is correct, easily angered or pleased. They will get along fine."

"If he accepts." Mally points out. "Remember how long it took Ead to accept? It isn't all that easy to have your world flipped on its head." She leans back and looks up at the night sky, soaking it in. "Wish I had a paper." She mutters to herself.

"Paper?"

"Yep. I feel inspired by the sky." She snorts out a laugh. "I guess because it is an immortal thing of beauty that nobody can even dream of destroying. We can learn a lot from it."

Silence follows her comment. A bit scared, Mally sits up and looks at Saint's confused face. "What?" She asks.

Saint blinks and all too late hides his confusion. "I um." He reaches back and rubs his neck. "Never thought of you as a poet."

Mally laughs. "Yeah well what else am I gonna do while a ram breaks down the gates? Count my fingers for the hundredth time?"

Saint chuckles to himself. "Well just memorize the poem. We can tell the others when we get back."

Mally nods and gazes up at the stars. Another two minutes pass before the ground below them starts to shake. Mally lifts Feargach onto her shoulder. "At least he doesn't snore." She says as the Pitchiaric breaches the canyon wall and gets into position.

Saint whistles to the creature and it opens the lid, it's breathing coming out difficult and raspy. Saint leaps into the beast's open mouth with a cheer, and Mally follows, landing with a slight bounce on the floor of the creature's mouth.

"Ligean ar dul." Saint commands and the Pitchiaric obeys, lowering itself into the hole it created.

The Pitchiaric lurches as it breaches the surface of the jungle floor. It opens its lid, flooding the inside of itself with sunlight, and slowly tilts itself around to be horizontal, allowing Mally and Saint to drag a now awake and struggling Feargach out onto the jungle.

Feargach cranes his neck around to look at the new location. "Where are we?"

"You should feel honored." Mally growls. "You are the first Sylvari to gaze upon the Heart of Thorns, safe haven for the Mordrem and base of operations for the Reborn."

Saint points to the entrance of a cave. "Let's get him over there. Mother can connect best at the center." Mally nods and they begin dragging him toward the cave as he screams for help.

When they reach the center, Mally and Saint both lets go of Feargach, dropping him to the floor. He scrambles forward and stands up holding up his fists ready to fight. "What is this? What are you trying to do to me?"

"Calm down friend." Saint starts as he takes a step forward, but has to duck as Feargach swings at him. Feargach goes again for a swing, but Mally steps in, grabbing his arm and pulling him forward right into a punch.

He falls down stunned and Saint takes the opportunity to jump on him, summoning vines to tie him to the ground. "Normally I would recite a ritual." Saint growls. "But since you refuse to sit still, I guess I can go with the more painful direction. Ionsaí!"

A vine below Feargach's head stabs upward into his skull, draining him of all feeling. He passes out immediately and begins dreaming.

He is walking down a snowy path, flanked on all sides by a cheering crowd. He smiles and waves to them, enjoying the joy they express because of him. He is the crowd's hero.

Suddenly a roar sounds nearby over a hill. Everyone including Feargach turns to stare as the Sons of Svanir charge over a hill and massacres the entire crowd. Feargach watches in shock as they slaughter without remorse.

A norn topples forward in front of Feargach headless, and startles him out of his stupor. He rushes backward and slams into a Son of Svanir. The man lets out a roar and swings his axe at Feargach, but he ducks under it and punches the man in the gut. Then he punches him again with a fiery fist straight in the face. The norn screams in agony as his nose shatters before collapsing to the ground.

Feargach enjoys it for a moment before a Son of Svanir points at him. "Kill the Champion!" He screams, and the entire Svanir horde charges at him. Terrified, he sprints away from the carnage, leaping over bodies and scrambling in the snow.

Arrows plunge into the deep snow all around him, giving him an idea.

As he sprints up a hill, he channel's ice magic to clear away snow under him, giving him a clear path. At the top, he turns and looks down. The Svanir are struggling to climb the hill, their bodies unable to stay atop the powdery snow.

He uses all his power and shifts the snow all on surrounding hillside. The resulting shifts cause the entire slope to erupt into a harsh avalanche. As the snow nears Feargach it shifts, leaving him unscathed.

Sons of Svanir are submerged in the onslaught of ice and snow, their screams covered by the roar of the sleet.

Feargach admires his work for a moment before he notices what he has done. By shifting the snow below the mountain, he hasn't just covered the attackers, but he has covered the entire roadside! All chances of survivors, all chance of revenge, washed away with the water.

Feargach melts as much as he can, but by doing so he frees Svanir just as much as civilians. Everytime he is rewarded with an attack, whether it be confused friend or enraged foe.

Eventually Feargach's energy leaves him and he falls to his knees in the snow. He surveys the white ground again. Not a sign of blood exists, not a sign of the carnage, all hidden by the snow. The deceitful white powder.

"Water and ice are a lie." He whispered. "Water doesn't heal, it drowns. Ice doesn't kill, it hides."

He looks at the blue aura around his hands. "Never again." He changes it to a glowing red. "Fire is the only one I can trust."

" _You have great potential little one, but to limit ourself like this isn't right."_ A voice, feminine and condescending. _"Water brings life just as much fire. You don't need to fear it."_

"At least I can trust fire!" He shouts to the empty air. "Fire destroys! It doesn't judge who it attacks, it just attacks. It cleanses forests and grasslands so they may begin anew. It…..It cannot be tamed, it will not Bow. And Neither will I!"

" _Oh Feargach, you need to understand. I just want to see you grow stronger."_ The voice sighs and grows quiet. _"You have no idea what We could do."_

"Who are you and what could you do for me that I can't do alone?" Feargach asks. "I could easily kill anyone I want. You should be no exception."

" _Really?"_ The voice is annoyed now. " _Tell me, have you ever killed a dragon?"_

Feargach's eyes widen in surprise as a dragon in shiny green scales slams into the snow, scattering it into the air. It brings it's head back and roars, making the air itself distort. Feargach turns and tries to scramble up the hill, but the dragon leaps forward and brings its front paws around him, trapping him.

"What do you want?!" Feargach cries out, huddling down to the ground.

" _I don't want to hurt you Feargach"_ The voice says in his head. _"I just need your help."_

Feargach slowly brings his head up to look at the dragon. Two big serpentine eyes stare down at him, watching his every movement. "Who are you?" He asks again.

" _I am Mordremoth, Mother of the Pale Tree, Creator of the Mordrem, and someone who desperately needs your help. You are strong, cunning, and dangerous. I need soldiers to exact my revenge against humanity. I beg you, will you join my armies?"_ To Feargach's amazement, a tear falls from the eye of the dragon and he feels a twinge of pity. Only for a moment.

"I don't believe it. You are a destroyer just like Jormag. You think I don't know what you will do if you get your way?" Feargach waves his hand over the carnage beneath the dragon. "Jormag ordered this attack, and I doubt you are peaceful or something."

Mordremoth looks at the snow beneath her. _"I know my brother can be a bit cruel, but he is fair. These norns don't worship him, they worship what they believe is him. Jormag would never do this."_

Feargach angrily stands to full height, staring Mordremoth in the eyes as best he can. "I do not fear you dragon, and I refuse to accept the idea that all you want is revenge. You want to destroy the world, and you will not get my help."

" _I see I will have to show you."_ Mordremoth says with a growl. She exhales deeply and pink mist flows out of her nostrils, surrounding Feargach. Afraid, Feargach holds his breath, not allowing mist to enter, but he is forced to breathe. The world shifts around him, switching to the middle of the forest. Feargach looks around for a moment before a shadow passes over him. He looks up as the creature lands but the shock wave causes him to fall backward before he can see it. A roar makes him scramble to his feet and run.

He runs blindly through the forest, leaping over logs and sliding down slopes. He can hear the beast slamming into the trees trying to catch him and he tries to conjure something to defend himself.

A flame axe spawns in front of him and he sets his eyes on it. Just as he reaches the axe however, it turns to ashes in his hand.

He stares at the black smudge in his hands in anger before a hot breath cascades over him. He looks up at the face above him and screams. The creature opens its mouth and a glow grows in its throat, fire building to destroy him.

Suddenly a Mordrem husk hurls itself at the winged reptile, dragging its face away from Feargach's. The fire it was building is launched into the sky, setting the canopy ablaze.

A branch snaps in the fire and plummets towards Feargach. He vainly reaches up to stop it when a Mordrem Teragriff knocks the branch away. _"Run. The Mordrem will protect you."_ Mordremoth says in his mind and he nods, standing to his feet and rushing past a Mordrem Thrasher.

He can hear the dragon-like creature slamming into the trees as it struggles against the Mordrem holding it down. He quickly realizes that he has nowhere to run other than toward the giant chasm in front of him. He looks back and shouts in surprise as the reptile has broken free of the Mordrem and is scrambling toward him.

" _Jump Feargach!"_ Mordremoth shouts and Feargach leaps forward, falling off the cliff. The dragon leaps after him, its jaws snapping at him. He conjures a fireball and throws it upward into the beast's face.

It opens its wings and stops its descent, leaving him to plummet to his death. He shouts out for help, but even Mordremoth's voice has left him.

He closes his eyes and braces for impact, but nothing happens. The wind stops blowing past his ears and all the sounds of the jungle have disappeared. Terrified, he opens one eye slowly, only meet one yellow serpentine eye. Mordremoth.

" _I will always be there to protect you Feargach. I know you are strong, but you alone cannot defeat what is out there. I can give you protection, safety, and power. Just join me. Please."_

Feargach pauses to consider, but after a while Mordremoth senses his hesitation and the reptile demon thing materializes directly beneath her. _"I could leave you alone with this Wyvern. He can be more persuasive than me."_ They both smile at him and the wyvern's throat glows.

Feargach shakes in terror at the idea of being alone with that thing. The idea had never bothered him before because he knew the crowd would always be with him. But to be truly safe, you must rely on soldiers, not civilians. "I…" Feargach takes a deep breath. This was worse than selling his soul, but if he doesn't accept he knows Mordremoth will probably force him to stay forever in this nightmare until he does accept. "I accept your offer." He looks around at the jungle floor. "Now can I leave?" He whimpers.

" _Of course little one. I will give you my complimentary parting gift and wake you. Saint will help you afterwards."_ She smiles wider than before, showing her white, sharp teeth. _"I knew you would see it my way. Soon all the sylvari will accept me."_

"Yes Mordremoth." Feargach growls, kneeling before the dragon.

" _Oh little one."_ Mordremoth hums as the dream fades. _"You may call me Mother."_ Feargach looks up at her in question before she leans down and touches his forehead with her snout, forcing memories into his mind and allowing him to accept his rebirth.

 **Yep, Feargach is didn't really suffer either, but hey the length of this one is great. If you guys have any idea how to improve my fight scene writing please say so. Thank you**


	6. Caru's Story

**Alright we are now on Caru's story and this is where the M rating really hits. I might not write this too well, it is a touching subject and I don't want this taken down for some reason. Just be ready. P.S. Long chapter ahead. 8,000 words!.**

"Wait," Zustatek says as Caru says the last sentence. "Feargach didn't want to be in Mother's army?"

"More or less." She answers. "Mother convinced him when she showed him the truth but originally he was just scared. He still has a bit of resentment towards Mother for that." Caru shrugs her shoulders. "Even when we save the Pale Tree there will still be people who don't trust us. Anyway let's move on. Ocras was a ch-"

"Woah woah." Zustatek interrupts. "Ocras? Weren't you the sixth Reborn Sylvari? Why are we skipping you?"

"Me?" Caru says, her voice quivering. She pauses to take a breath before saying. "My story is unimportant. Ocras wa-"

"Oh no, you ain't getting out so easy." Zustatek pokes Caru's leg, teasing her. "Cmon, you couldn't have had it that bad. You are too sweet to have done anything wrong."

"My story is unimportant." Caru repeats. "Please just forget about it."

"Please Caru. I want to know about you." Zustatek continues to smile to Caru, oblivious to the sorrow in her eyes.

Caru's eyes well up and a tear rolls down her cheek. Zustatek's smile vanishes and a worried look replaces it. "Are you okay?" She asks.

"Yes." Caru's voice was shaky now, her voice struggling to stay under control. She reaches up and carefully wipes away the tear.

"I apologize if I offended you. I just wanted to know." Zustatek stares at Caru as she tries to keep a controlled face.

Three sharp knocks comes from the open door to the outside. Both of them look to the door to see Saint leaning against the door frame with a smirk on his face. "What are you two lovely ladies doing?" He asks, folding his arms over his chest.

Zustatek smiles at him. "Nothing you are needed for." She says, but is interrupted when a sob comes from Caru.

Surprised, they both look at her, her face in her hands and tears running freely from her eyes.

Saint quickly drops the act and runs inside, ignoring Caru's 'No Boots' policy. In an instant he has her in his arms, letting her cry into his shoulder, running his hand across her dark purple hair. "Shhh. It's okay. It's okay Love." He lifts her up and sits down in the chair, sitting her on his lap. "It's okay." He whispers, rocking her back and forth.

Once Caru's sobs shrunk down to sniffles, Saint looked at Zustatek and mouthed "What happened?"

Zustatek clears her throat to get Caru's attention before asking. "Can I tell him?" Caru nods and Zustatek tells Saint. "I was asking her for the backstories of each Reborn. She kept trying to skip her story and go to Ocras."

Saint nods in understanding and holds Caru against him, whispering. "It's okay love. They can't hurt you anymore. I made sure."

"Who hurt her?" Zustatek growls. Her hand instinctively reaches toward her mace.

Saint raises his hand and signals for her to calm down. "Just some drunks from long ago. I don't even remember their names."

"I trusted them." Caru whispered before sobbing again against Saint's shoulder. He begins rocking her back and forth, giving her a kiss on her pink cheek.

Zustatek keeps her mouth shut as Saint comforts Caru. As Caru finally begins to calm down Zustatek stands up. "Thank you Caru for sharing the Reborn's stories with me. I...I will go now."

"No Zustatek, you don't need to go." Saint says, lifting Caru up and placing her in the cushioned chair. "I can tell you the rest." He looks at Caru. "If you want you can go to your room while I do this."

They both look at Caru as she decides. At first she nods, then she suddenly says "No." Caru sits up a bit straighter, determination suddenly appearing in her wet eyes. "I need to be strong." She looks at Zustatek, then Saint. "I will fill in any details you forget."

Saint nods and grabs a wooden chair, spinning it around and sitting in it. "Caru was born during the cycle of dawn with one goal in mind. Travel to Divinity's Reach and become famous."

"It's what my dream showed me," Caru says as she wipes tears away with a tissue. "I was on a stage in front of a huge crowd and they were riveted." She smiles at the thoughts. "They couldn't take their eyes off me! I was the main attraction."

Saint smiles at her. "Not hard to see why."

"Oh hush you." Caru slaps him playfully on the shoulder. "Besides, you forget that I am a lot different now compared to before." She looks at Zustatek and winks. "I wasn't such a beauty before. It nearly cost me my job before I even got it." She sighs. "I was so naive when I arrived in Divinity."

Caru walked into the giant gates of the Reach with awe all over her face. The giant brick structures leading up the ramp in front of her glowed in the waning sunlight. Staring at the buildings, she accidentally walks into a man in Seraph Armor and falls onto her back.

The man trips forward, then turns on Caru with his hand reaching for his coin pouch. "Watch where you are going Sylvari!" The man growls.

Caru immediately panics and bursts with a flurry of apologies. "I am so sorry!" As he brings his hand away from his money, realizing she isn't a pickpocket, Caru timidly asks him. "Do you know where I may get directions? I need to find a stage."

The soldier looks her over before pointing her to a small tent next to the entrance. "Talk to my sister, she gives directions to newcomers. And keep your eyes up. Don't want to run into someone not as nice as me."

Caru nods vigorously to him and he turns and walks down the ramp. Once Caru believes he is far enough away, she blows a bit of her hair out of her face and flips him off.

"Why must everyone treat me like a child?" She asks the guard's sister as she hands Caru a map.

"Be happy you aren't a charr." She says. "Matter of fact, I think Norn are the only ones who get along with us. Asuran's are too smart for most, Charr have always been at war with us, and your kind are naive. People associate you with children because you make the same mistakes as them. Anyways!" She hums loudly before Caru can say what she wants. "I marked the closest thing we have to a stage, Uzolan's Orchestra. Maybe you can meet someone there who can help you."

Caru looks at the map in her hands with confusion. The guard sighs. "This is why people treat you like children." She takes the map from Caru and flips it over. Caru's face lights up red and she takes off down the ramp. "Thank you and goodbye!" She shouts over shoulder and waves.

Caru stares at the Orchestra as it loops the same song for the tenth time. Most bystanders have passed it by as it has long lost its extravagance but to her it was amazing. It always played the music perfectly and not once did it break. It was always running.

"You like the machine?" A voice from directly behind startles her. She whips around to face the source. "It's been here so long, I barely even notice anymore."

The women in front of Caru is in her forties at first glance. Her skin is pale, her clothes red and extravagant compared to the commoners around. From what Caru has seen from Queensdale, she looks incredibly different and not just with her clothes. Her face is strange, and Caru gives her a confused look.

The woman seems to read her mind. "Oh. Have you never met a pure blooded Canthan?" The woman asks. Caru shakes her head. "Well I have never had the pleasure of meeting a female sylvari who couldn't talk."

Caru realizes the hint and apologizes. "My name is Caru." She says.

"Caru." The woman says, rolling the 'R'. "How sweet. My name Arisu, though most under me call me Alice because they somehow can't say Arisu."

"Arisu." Caru says, rolling the 'R' the same way Arisu did.

Arisu's eyebrows raise in surprise. "Well done." She glances around before looking back at Caru. "Do you have a home Caru?"

Caru shakes her head. "I just arrived in Divinity looking for a job. I want to be an Actress!"

Arisu claps her hands in delight, her robe's long sleeves flapping under her arms. "Splendid! My sister has always been looking for actors who aren't human." She circles Caru, looking her up and down. "Your body is perfect. Not so skinny, but not at all overweight. I bet you are incredibly athletic; most of your kind is." She looks at Caru's face with a bit of worry. "However your face is a different matter.

"What is wrong with my face?" Caru says, insulted.

"Nothing!" Arisu says quickly. "It just isn't as. . . lovely as the rest of you."

Caru reaches up and touches her face, her hands grazing the roots along her forehead and nose. "Will people really not enjoy how I look?"

Arisu takes Caru's hand and places her hand over it. "You will be fine. I doubt will even see you in detail on stage. Most can't afford to be too close." Arisu looks up toward the sky, noticing how dark it is becoming. "Let's go to my home. Sister will be pleased to meet you. On the way I can tell you about Canthan customs."

Caru nods and they begin walking away from the orchestra as the music instruments slowly shuts down.

Arisu swings open a door to her house in Rurikton. "Sister, I am home!" She exclaims as Caru looks at the foyer. Two staircases to the left and right, with a wooden double door below them. A chandelier hangs from above them, gold in color. Paintings of Arisu and what Caru could only guess is her sister hang from the walls.

Her sister calls. "I'm upstairs." Arisu turns to Caru and smiles. "Feel free to explore the house. Just try to look with your eyes, not your hands." She sighs. "So many petty thieves." She goes upstairs, leaving Caru with the downstairs to explore.

Caru walks through the main doors below the stairs and into a hallway. She wanders down the hall, glancing into each room as she goes. A kitchen, a dining room, a washroom, even what looks like a ballroom!

Caru steps into the ballroom and gasps. Four platinum chandelier hangs from the ceiling and four circles are drawn on the floor beneath each. Above her there is a balcony with chairs pointing toward the very end of the room, where a gigantic stage has been set up.

As she stares in wonder at the stage, a woman's voice asks her. "You are the one my sister found?" Caru jumps around and stares at the woman.

The resemblance to Arisu is uncanny. This woman has the same eye color, face shape, and hair color. However she stands a good four feet over Caru, when Arisu was the same height. "Are you Arisu's sister?" Caru asks.

"Yes. And you are Caru the sylvari?" The woman asks. Caru nods. Arisu's sister steps around Caru, examining her the same way Arisu did. She looks into Caru's eyes with a harsh gaze that makes Caru fearful. Eventually she turns and shouts "Arisu! Come here."

Arisu rushes inside, smiling weakly to Caru before looking up at her sister. "What's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" Her sister repeats angrily. "This is all you can find me!? This is your best?"

Arisu flinches. "She wants to be an actress, sister. I thought you and I could help her."

"She is a lost cause Arisu. Have you stopped looking at the face now?" The sister looks over Caru again with malice. Caru refuses to be cowed, and returns the gaze. Surprised, the sister fully turns toward Caru, standing to her full height. "How DARE you look upon your better." She snarls.

"Sister please." Arisu pleads. "Leave her be." Arisu walks up to Caru, grasping her arm and gently pulling her out the door. "I am going to take her to the others. We will talk later." She drags Caru out of the room and rushes her away, leaving her sister fuming at the stage.

"Why did you let her do that?" Caru asks as Arisu leads her to a building next to the main house. The 'bunkhouse', as Arisu calls it.

"I don't have any say. Mother wanted her in charge of the family business when she passed. I had no chance." Arisu reaches the doors of the home and swings it open. "This is where you will be staying."

"But won't your sister disapprove?" Caru asks.

"I will convince her." Arisu leads Caru down the hall and into a what looks like a living room. There, five men and seven women are sitting in cushioned chairs, talking to each other and playing cards. The room is quaint, with a fireplace crackling on one of the walls. Opposite of it is a book shelf with Yet to throw off the peaceful look the windows are barred. Everyone goes silent as Arisu enters, along with Caru, now nervous from all the new faces.

"Everyone," Arisu announces. "Meet Caru, a new volunteer to our group. Make her feel at home." Arisu then turns and leaves, leaving Caru in front of the group with no idea what to do.

She weakly waves. "Hi everyone." Everyone continues to stare. Caru looks around, trying not to stare back.

After a few more seconds, one of the men snaps back to earth and quickly stands. "I am so sorry for the rude stares Ms. Caru. My name is Scott. Are you going to be staying with us?"

"I think so." Caru answers. "If Arisu can convince her sister to let me."

"Little chance of that." One of the woman playing cards mutters. "She's got Luxon blood in her. She is as stubborn as the Jade Sea she came from."

"Pipe down Kat." A large man says across from her, staring intently at his cards. "Mistress might be listening."

Kat snorts disdainfully, but goes silent. Scott starts talking to Caru again. "Did Arisu give you a room?"

Caru shakes her head and Scott smiles. "Then you can pick one. I think there is two empty rooms upstairs. Zach." One of the men with his arm around a girl suddenly looks up. "Take Caru to one of the rooms please."

Zach groans but gets up, giving the girl a light kiss on the cheek. "Cmon." He grumbles, walking past Caru and up the stairs, each step creaking and groaning.

Caru follows him slowly, looking into each room as she goes. Some are lavish, with bright bed sheets and a painting or two on the wall. Others look poor, with a ragged bed and weak walls. She hopes her room isn't so bad.

She smiles to herself as she walks into her room. She seems to have gotten a happy medium, and while the room was bland, at least it looked comfortable. She looks at Zach and says "Thank you." He nods and walks off quickly, probably rushing to get back to his girlfriend.

Caru begins working on making her room look nice. She starts by taking the blanket off the bed and shaking it out the window. Then she brings it back in and spreads it across the bed, taking care not to ruin it. As she steps back to admire her work someone knocks on her closed door. "It's Scott." The person on the other side says.

Caru opens the door and smiles at Scott, who returns it. "Arisu wanted me to give you this. She said you made it into the troop." He holds out his hand to show a small purple mask. Gently, Caru takes it and looks it over. The inside is strange, with grooves cut into it. It only has one eye socket and obviously it has been made to cover the roots on her face.

Caru takes it and hugs it close to her chest. "Thank you Scott." She closes the door and sits down on her bed, looking over the mask again. Slowly she puts it on her face, slipping it over her face gently. The grooves cover the roots perfectly, and it is a snug fit. Caru doesn't know whether to thank Arisu or cry.

She stands up and leaves her room, walking toward the stairs. As she begins going downstairs she hears a voice she despises. She stops quickly and strains to hear what Arisu's sister is talking about.

She can't hear her, but she can hear Zach talking to her. "The initiation? What did Caru do to deserve that?" Arisu's sister says something and Zach chuckles. "Consider it done Ma'am. Just know you are more than likely missing out. Kat says the girls got potential to be strong, and she has never been wrong."

"I don't care what the Elonian said!" She shouted, before her voice shrinks again.

"I understand Ma'am, but if we do this we are doing it Scott's way." Zach chuckles again, this time even more menacingly. "It's more fun."

"Just don't get caught." Arisu's sister's voice is getting closer now, and Caru scrambles up the stairs as quietly as she can.

The front door shuts and Zach whistles. "Scott!" He begins to run upstairs, but Caru is already in her room, terrified.

A week later, Caru is sitting at the table in the main hall being taught to read and write by Kat. She had just managed to write her own name and sound it out when Scott approaches her. "Sorry to bug you, but Arisu needs your help. She told me to come get you." He smiles.

Caru nearly chokes on an apple slice she was eating. Her mind racing, she manages to cough out. "Okay." Scott's smile widens and he walks away.

She immediately assumes this has something to do with the initiation. She can't fight Scott. She has no training in any sort of fighting and she would crumple. She can't run, Scott is at the front door and all the windows are still barred. But she can't hide, the house is too small. She just has to go with him and hope he isn't going to hurt her.

As they leave the house, Caru asks. "Where are we going?"

"Just to one of the other districts. Arisu has something she wants our help with." Scott answers before picking up speed a faster walk.

Caru considers turning and running, but Scott beckons for her to catch up, so she can't run now. Eventually she jogs to keep up with Scott and his giant strides.

She walks past lots of carts and she tries to convince Scott to stop and look at each of them to buy her something. Each time he says. "We have to hurry," and pulls her away. She looks toward the cart dealers with a pleading look but they look straight past her and onto the next customer.

As they enter the Ossam Quarter Scott leads Caru to the very back of the Quarter into an old house. Caru hesitates to going inside but Scott grasps her arm and drags her inside.

"Arisu!" Caru calls out, but Scott quickly covers her mouth. She screams but it comes out to nothing.

"Arisu isn't here Caru." Scott drags her, kicking, into the bedroom. "The mistress wants us to punish you. The others aren't here yet so for now you're all mine." He throws her onto an old bed and grabs some rope, overpowering her easily. He ties her wrists and ankles to the bed posts and ties a gag to around her mouth before standing back and admiring his handy work.

"Not bad. For a Sylvari, you look good like that." He laughs. "Maybe I won't let you go after this." He goes to take off the mask, but stops. "Keep the mask. You might pass for someone actually beautiful with it." He laughs again before reaching up to her skirt.

Caru strains against the binds wildly but they hold strong and with a swift pull Scott exposes her. She tries to close her legs but he easily moves them out of the way. "You look delicious, even with those roots all over your body.. But this isn't about you. Right now this is about me." He begins to undress and Caru gasps against her gag.

Scott pounces atop her without any hesitation or remorse. Lining himself up, he slides inside her quickly. She screams against the gag as pain envelopes her crotch and tears well up in her eyes.

Scott moans atop her and begins thrusting, picking up speed with each one, not allowing her to get used to him inside her. "You're so tight it almost hurts." He growls. Caru can only sob.

Soon Scott's motions become erratic and his moans have shrunk to animalistic grunts. Caru can feel herself becoming aroused despite the horrors and she moans.

"Enjoying yourself?" Scott laughs cruelly. "You're nothing but a little Slut aren't you?" His sentence breaks down as he finally releases into Caru.

She feels the warm essence inside her and almost throws up in disgust. All she can do is sob more. Her arms burn from the pulling against the ropes and Scott suddenly lies forward, slamming his weight into her.

Eventually he gets up and slowly pulls out of Caru, leaving a small stain on the old mattress, and turns away. He begins putting on his clothes while saying to Caru. "Time to play with the others." He says. He stands and and looks out the window. "Bloody hell, where are they."

After five minutes, he gets up, grumbling. He walks out of the room, leaving her tied to the bed and bleeding from her crotch. "Stay put." He yells from the other room before the front door opens and shuts.

Caru lays there, exposed and tied down, crying until no tears are left and then crying some more. She begins counting the seconds, trying to ignore the pain.

Thirty seconds. Maybe he won't come back? Maybe he won't find Zach? But he said others. Who else is he bringing?

Sixty seconds. Not as if he could be back within sixty seconds. It will take him at least thirty minutes to find them. Maybe someone will save her?

Ninety seconds. The stress is going to kill her before the men do. Escape crosses her mind so many times but the ropes aren't breaking anytime soon and nobody is going to explore an abandoned house unless they saw Scott leave, in which case they would have come in. Unless the door is locked.

One hundred twenty seconds. Two minutes. No one is coming. If the door was locked they would be breaking it down. She is doomed.

She closes her eyes, hoping to sleep, to ignore the pain. Her body is sore from the way she is spread out but she ignores it too. Slowly, she dozes off.

* **Creak** *

Caru's eyes pop open. Was that her imagination? Was that the wind? Has Scott returned? She watches the open door in her peripheral vision fearfully.

Her eyes begin to sting from looking at the door and she closes them. As soon as she does, someone enters the room and gasps. "What is this?!"

Caru quickly opens her amethyst eyes and stares at the newcomer, and thank whoever exists who decided to help her for he is a Sylvari! His light green face is staring at her, mouth agape and shock in his eyes.

He quickly gets over his stupor and unsheathes his sword, slicing the ropes around her feet and arms easily. Then he lifts her up and looks into her eyes. "Are you okay miss?"

Caru snaps out her trance and lunges at her savior, almost crushing him in a hug. "Thank you! Oh thank you so much." Fresh tears spring from her eyes as she sobs into the stranger's shoulder. "You saved me!" She hiccups.

The stranger grabs her and pulls her off of him, saying. "Woah woah. Saved from what? What has happened?"

Caru doesn't answer, she only cries harder and hugs him tighter. After glancing around the stranger makes an assumption. "Have you been raped?"

Caru chokes up mid-sob and he finally puts his arms around her, finally realizing her pain.

They stay like this, with her slowly calming down with each sob. Slowly, the stranger begins rocking back and forth, humming something soothingly.

The moment is interrupted by running boots and a shout. "Who the fuck are you?" The stranger whips his head around at the voice and lets go of Caru.

"My name is Saint. Now who are you," He points at Caru. "And what in the name of your precious six gods did you do to her?" He snarls.

"Just showed her a good time." Scott laughs cruelly, his two friends joining him. Caru looks away and cries again. Scott looks at her angrily. "Shut up, Slut."

The sylvari identifying as Saint becomes enraged at those words. He quickly rushes up to Scott and punches him square in the ribcage. Zach and the other one quickly grabs his arms and holds him back as Scott shakes off the blow.

"Bastard!" Zach growls, drawing a knife from his scabbard. "Gonna gut you for that. Always wanted to see if Sylvari bleed the same blood as us."

Wasting no time, Saint brings forward his head and slams it into the unknown man's face. He cries out in pain and let's go of him, clutching his nose.

Using his now free arm he snatches away the dagger and rolls away from all three of them, throwing the dagger at the stranger with pinpoint accuracy.

It slams through the man's hand and into his eye. He screams in pain and grabs at it. Saint rushes up to him and forces the dagger deeper into his face. His scream stops suddenly and he slumps down to the ground, blood coating his face and the ground.

Scott shoulder charges Saint, knocking him down. Saint rolls as he lands, quickly getting to his feet, and immediately goes on the offensive, swinging at Scott's every opening with lightning speed. Zach attempts to attack him, but Saint easily grabs his swing and snaps the arm.

He screams in pain and leans against the wall, clutching his arm and shaking in agony. Zach looks up in time to see Saint's fist slam into his face. His eyes lull back and he falls to the ground with a bleeding nose and a disfigured arm.

Scott quickly realizes he is outmatched and bolts for the open door. Saint attempts to grab him but he slips away. He almost reaches the door when he trips over something in the floorboards.

He looks down and screams as it crawls up his legs slowly. He tries kicking it but it wiggles around and gets to his waist.

Saint runs up to him with a manic grin on his face. "I am not done with you yet, you bastard." He waves his hand and the vines burrow into the ground. Before he can get up, Saint picks him up and forces his arm against his back, threatening to snap it. "Get away from the door."

Scott nods furiously and they both walk away from the front door and past Caru, who is staring at them both wide eyed. Saint goes to the kitchen and shoves Scott against a cupboard. He desperately tries to scramble away, but Saint grabs him by the back of his neck and pulls him back, slamming his skull against the countertop and throwing him across the room.

"Merciful Dwayna, I am sorry!" Scott cries and holds his hands above his head in a pitiful attempt to protect himself.

Saint laughs at him and says. "Gods won't save you from my wrath." He raises his hand and vines smash through the floorboards, wrapping quickly around his legs and arms, tying him down to the ground the same way Caru was.

"How should we let you die, hmm?" He whispers gleefully. "We could always yank off your arms and legs." As he says this, the vines grow tighter, pulling the limbs from their sockets and making him scream aloud in pain.

"Or maybe choke the life out of you?" Another vine slowly wraps around his neck, suffocating him and scratching him.

"Or maybe we co-"

"Stop." Caru says at the doorway, her voice wavering and her knees unsteady. Saint looks at her with surprise while Scott stares at her pleading. "I want to do it."

Saint smiles at her. "Very well. He is all yours." He backs away from Scott, leaving him at her mercy.

She sits down in front of him, her clothes now fully on. "You hurt me Scott." She whispers. "You hurt me more then you could ever know." She slowly crawls to his legs and looks at Saint. Confused but curious, he moves the vines away.

"But that doesn't mean I still can't try and teach you." She takes Scott's dagger and cuts off his belt. It finally clicks into Saint's mind what her plan is and he laughs. "Never would have thought of that!"

Scott realizes too, and is now thrashing wildly against his binds. She looks at Saint again and he barks an order, making the vines curl and keeping him still. She spins the dagger in her hand clumsily so the blade is pointing down, and stabs Scott's crotch.

He screams in agony as it cuts his genitals, blood seeping onto his pants. Caru slowly twists the blade slowly, smiling.

Saint is hiding his eyes behind his hands. As she takes the blade out of the whimpering man, he smiles to her. "You are more cruel then I am!" He laughs and crouches down next to her. "As much as I would like to see more of your genius ideas, we need to go. It won't be long before some of the guard notice this house isn't empty."

She nods and sets the blade down for a moment, before picking it up and stabbing Scott's stomach repeatedly. Her vision goes red and all her rage, all her anger fuels each slash to the point where each one makes another purple blade stab him. Saint watches calmly as she takes out her anger on Scott's lifeless body.

As she stands, dropping the knife next to Scott, Saint gently lays a hand on her shoulder and nods his head to the door. She nods, her vision slowly returning to normal.

Once the door has been closed, Saint chuckles. "You should have asked me where to stab. Not to brag but I know exactly where to stab to keep a victim alive the longest."

Caru doesn't answer as she sits on the sidewalk. Her legs burn and her head is pounding. Soon it begins to sink in what she did. "I...I just killed him."

Saint looks at her confused. "Yes, you killed a monster. Why do you seem so shaken?"

"Because I just killed a man!" Caru shouts, quickly covering her mouth and glancing around. People stare at her with surprise and curiosity. Saint glares at her before waving nervously at the crowds nearby. "Sorry." Caru whimpers.

"It's fine. We just need to go. Can you walk?" Saint gently grabs her arm and hoists her up. She stands wobbly for a moment before nodding, and with Saint holding her hand reassuringly, they walk away from the abandoned house and out of Divinity's Reach.

"I'll never be able to go back there, will I?" Caru asks as she takes a small plate with food and a fork gratefully from Saint. He decided to set up a small little camp outside of Claypool. next to the fire, Saint has set his and her packs down, as well as his guitar.

"I don't know." Saint says glumly. "But in any case, you don't have to go back. You could come with me."

Caru shrugs. "Maybe I will." She begins to eat. "This is really good Saint. Thank you."

Saint smiles at her and takes a bite of his food. "I felt inspired to make something good since I have company." He looks at her and points to the mask. "You gonna keep that on the entire time?"

Caru freezes up, the food on her fork just below her mouth. She carefully sets them down and touches her mask. "I..forgot I had it on." She starts to take it off but stops and looks at Saint fearfully. "I'll keep it on."

"Why?" Saint asks.

'Because you won't like my face.' Caru thinks but only says. "I am used to it."

"Please Miss Caru?" Saint begs. "I want to see your beautiful face." He sets down his food and crawls across the campsite to sit in front of her. Slowly and carefully he reaches up and touches the mask.

"No." Caru lurches back, not realizing that Saint already has a grip on the mask. It slides off her face and she squeaks, bringing her hands up to cover her face. "Give it back!"

"Caru please." Saint sets the mask down and reaches up to gently grip her arms. Slowly, he pulls her hands away from her face with no resistance.

Caru stares at him scared and with tears in her eyes. He looks her over and smiles. "You aren't exactly the best looking. But you certainly aren't terrible."

Angrily, she slaps him hard across the face. "Bastard." She grabs the mask off the ground and turns away.

"Caru." Saint puts a hand on her shoulder and says. "I didn't see anything wrong."

"I am the ugliest sylvari in Tyria." Caru says, struggling to keep in tears.

"Says who?" Saint growls. He picks Caru up and turns her around. "Listen Caru, you may not be beautiful by human standards, but what the hell do humans know? They believe they know exactly what the world needs and they won't let anybody else decide. They assume creatures are evil when they are attacked by them but those animals are trying to survive this world just as well as they are. You are beautiful because it isn't what is on your face that matters. What matters is what is in your heart." Saint sighs and sit away from Caru. "It's your choice."

Caru looks at him stunned. She looks down at the mask staring up at her and sighs. 'Maybe Saint has a point'. She picks it up and places it in her pack.

Saint has gotten his guitar from the campfire side and has begun playing. Caru listens to the gentle strum quietly as he begins singing. "In the back of my mind, I've been trying to chase a monster this whole time. But I couldn't see the monster was me, and no one heard our cries. Now I've run out of tears. The time has come for me to disappear. Get me out of this mess and away from the stress, set me free so I can rest!"

"We're only kids who lost our way, but if we wait long enough we will be saved. Just sleep, just dream, this isn't fair no we're not just what we seem. We want to fly but our souls are trapped inside, it's not a game, not to blame, we're forced to hide. Just sleep, just dream. It's only a nightmare, and soon we'll be set free."

Caru smiles at the words and begins thinking. "Did you come up with that song?"

"No. Mother says it to me when I am feeling upset. 'Should you ever faulter, remember these words.' I just added a few sentences and turned it into a song."

"You've met Mother?" Caru asks and Saint nods. Caru smiles wider and an idea comes to her mind out of nowhere. Sneaking as best she can, Caru cautiously walks up to Saint. Branches snap under her feet but Saint doesn't move.

She wraps her arms around him and kisses his cheek. Surprised, he grabs her arms and almost throws her before realizing it's her and calming down. "What was that for?" He asks.

"For helping me." Caru smiles wider. Saint chuckles before getting a sinister look. He stands suddenly, lifting Caru up with a yelp. He then grabs her arms and spins.

She laughs and lifts her legs up to not drag. Soon Saint becomes dizzy and Caru sets her feet down, helping him not to topple over. They laugh as the world spins.

As soon as Saint becomes stable he grabs her and begins tickling her mercilessly. She falls down to the ground, laughing and yelling "Stop it!" playfully. Soon she is laughing so hard she can't breathe and Saint lets up, allowing her to calm down. After a few soft giggles, she stares up at her hero with a joyful gaze.

"Saint?" Caru begins, getting his attention. "I want to go with you to wherever you are going."

Saint smiles wide at her, almost evilly, and pulls her up to her feet. "At dawn we will set out for my home. Right now, let's get some sleep."

Caru nods and crawls into the tent, squeezing up to allow Saint to get inside after her. She lays down on a blanket and wraps herself up. "Goodnight Saint."

"Goodnight Caru."

After awakening, they begin their trek again, passing through Kessex Hills and Brisban Wildlands without too much of a hitch. As they approach the Silverwastes, Caru finally asks "Where are we going Saint?"

"Somewhere safe." He answers.

"But do we really have to go through the desert?" Caru whines playfully.

Saint smiles at her in the special evil way. "I do know a faster route to my sanctuary. I just don't know if you want to go."

She smiles back. "If it can save us a lot of walking, I'll take it." She follows Saint as they go toward the large canyon.

Saint looks around and in the canyon repeatedly. "Do you see anyone?" He asks and Caru shakes her head, confused. He smiles and grabs a warhorn out of his pack, bringing it up to his lips and is about to blow when a thought seems to invade his mind.

"Caru, when I blow this warhorn something is going to happen that might scare you. I want you to promise me that you won't run, you won't scream, you won't be afraid."

Caru scoffs. "Oh please Saint, I have doubt whatever you are about to do isn't that scary."

"Caru." Saint says, deathly serious. "Promise me you won't be afraid."

Caru looks at him confused and slightly afraid. "I promise."

The serious face is instantly gone and Saint says. "Great!" He then quickly brings the warhorn to his mouth and blows.

The earth rumbles and quakes as a large plant bursts from the ground at the bottom of the canyon, its roots wrapping gently around the others already in the canyon.

Caru whimpers at the sight, but Saint wraps his hand gently around hers and she remains steady. "What." Her voice cracks and she tries again. "What is that thing?"

Saint looks at her and says softly. "It is our way home." He whistles loudly and the plant lifts itself higher, getting close to the edge of the canyon. Caru takes a tentative step back as it lifts the lid covering its mouth. Its teeth slide away, giving Caru a clear view inside.

"Are you ready Caru?" Saint asks her and she looks at him. His gaze is soft, fearful, worried. He wouldn't hurt her for no reason. She nods slowly. "We have to jump. It isn't a far jump." She nods again. "One. Two. Three!" Saint rushes forward and Caru, holding his hand, leaps silently into the beast, her eyes shut tight.

She hits the ground without to much pain, but she still yelps. Saint snaps his fingers and a glow surrounds them both. "Are you okay?" He asks.

Caru nods slowly but then her vision goes blurry and she shakes her head. "What hurts?" Saint asks and she tries to answer, but she only manages a squeak before she passes out in his arms.

She awakens lying on a bed comfortably. She snaps up but falls back to the pillows with a groan. Her head is pounding out in agony. She looks around slowly at the beautiful home, complete with golden statues and strange paintings. The carpet is soft and white, like it's made from white feathers.

"Hello?" She whimpers. Her voice sounds weak to her.

"Caru?" Saint's voice says from another room and she sighs in relief. He rushes inside, his worried look instantly becoming relieved. "I thought something terrible happened! Don't scare me like that." He walks up to her and sits in a chair next to the bed. "Can you walk?"

Caru looks at him and smiles. "I think so, but why do I need to walk?"

"Mother wants to see you. She will mend your wounds better than I ever could." Saint gently takes your hand. "I have already informed her of your arrival and I don't wish to keep her waiting."

Caru nods and lifts herself off the bed. "My feet hurt, but I think I can walk." Saint helps her off the bed and, holding her hand softly, they leave the small home.

Caru jumps at what is waiting outside. "I thought we were in the Grove!" She says, surprised.

"Nope." Saint says matter-of-factly. "We are in my home, the Heart of Thorns. You'll have plenty of time to get acquainted in a bit. Right now, let's go!" He begins running, dragging her along with him.

Caru watches wide eyed as plant creatures work to grow this place. Bridges are built from one vine to another and what looks to be another home is being built.

Saint leads Caru down a cavern to a large white flower. On the left of the flower there are four flowers, each a different color. On the other, there is only two flowers. "Caru, please sit in front of the flower so I may summon Mother so you can be Reborn."

"Saint, this isn't the Pale Tree." Caru says fearfully. "Where is our mother?"

Saint points at the flower. "That is what she uses to speak to us. And you're right, technically she is our Grandmother, but she doesn't like that. It makes her feel old." He chuckles.

Caru takes a step back. "I'm scared." She whimpers.

Saint looks at her and asks. "Caru, would I hurt you? Would I benefit from hurting you?" She shakes her head. "Please just trust me. I want to help you."

Caru nods and gently lowers herself down to the ground, sitting on her knees. Saint begins saying some sort of ritual. "Oh Sweet Mother, please allow your guidance to seep into the mind of this wayward soul. Please, for the sake of the many Mordrem and the lost sylvari, allow her to lead our kin to their truth, as we have to her. Mother, make her strong to carry out your wishes, make her wise enough to think of her own. Give her the power she needs to lead the sylvari to a new age. One free of pain and strife. One free of death and chaos. One free of the scourge of man." Then, as sort of a whispered warning, he says. "Keep her safe."

Caru feels something crawl onto her back, before stabbing into her skull. Her brain goes dark and she falls to the ground.

 _"Awaken little one."_ A voice whispers softly and Caru opens her eyes. She is laying peacefully in a bed of grass.

"These surroundings are familiar." She says, looking around.

" _It is the dream. Don't you remember?"_ The voice asks. Caru nods. _"I brought you here because you have suffered a terrifying ordeal, one more violent than any of my children before. One that caused injuries physical and emotional."_

Caru looks around with interest. "Who are you?"

" _For now, I am unimportant. I want to know about you, little one. What has happened to you that is so terrible that Saint actually worries for you?"_ The voice asks.

Caru raises her eyebrows. "Saint is a nice person. Of course he is worried about me."

" _No little one, you don't understand."_ The voice sighs. _"My Firstborn has lost much of his passion and believes he only lives to please me. We are connected. And right now, I can sense a longing toward you within him."_

Caru reacts surprised. "He…loves me?"

The voice chuckles softly. _"I believe he does, and he is scared to do so. You aren't his first love interest and the last one betrayed him. He is scared to care about anyone anymore."_

Caru thinks about Saint, his smile and his jokes. "He is very kind."

" _Enough about that for now."_ The voice says. _"Saint doesn't bring someone to me unless he believes they are strong and powerful. Each one so far has suffered terribly and I am willing to bet it doesn't stop with you."_

Caru looks down, the violent memories returning in vivid detail. "I have suffered greatly. More so than any Sylvari I have ever heard of."

" _So I can see."_ The voice growls as it seems to shift through her memories. _"Humans are such violent, heartless creatures. This is why my children and I fight to destroy them."_

"Who are you?" Caru asked again. "Why do you keep talking about your children?"

" _I am the true mother of the Sylvari. I am leader of the Mordrem, freshly awoken. I am Mordremoth, and I wish to help you Caru."_

Caru realizes what this means and cowers in fear. "Don't hurt me dragon! Please." Tears spring from her eyes.

" _Little one, why would I bring you all the way to my home just to kill you? Don't you understand that I want to help you?"_ The voice sounds annoyed now and Caru quickly apologizes.

"I am sorry Mordremoth! I didn't mean to insult you." Caru falls to her knees and pleas.

Vines burst from the ground as the dragon whispers. _"Oh Caru."_ The vines gently stroke her arms and legs, soothing her. _"What do you most desire in life?"_

Caru looks up in fear. "I want to be alive." She says.

" _No little one. Do you want revenge? Power? Wisdom? Agility?"_ The voice asks as the vines go away.

Caru nods. "I want revenge. I want to destroy the monsters that hurt me so." She realizes that isn't her only goal but doesn't voice it.

" _Then our goals are one."_ Mordremoth pauses. _"That isn't just what you want Caru. Tell me it is your heart's desire."_

Caru looks down at her feet. "I want…. I just want to be somewhere I am loved and protected. I want to be with someone who I know I am safe to be around."

" _You will always be safe in my jungle and my children will protect you."_

"No you don't understand. I need someone to protect me always. To be by my side." Caru immediately thinks of Saint. "Are you sure Saint loves me?"

" _I sense almost everything he feels. He has some great feelings toward you."_

"I believe I love him. But he is perfect, and I am a hideous Sylvari. How can he even care about me?"

" _Do you want me to make you perfect Caru?"_ Mordremoth says confidently. _"I can make you the most beautiful Sylvari you have ever seen. You will be everything he has ever wanted."_

Caru nods. "Make me beautiful, Mother. For him."

The dream shimmers in front of her and the ground quakes. Mordremoth bursts from the earth and flaps into the air. With a mighty roar she flies away, disappearing into the clouds. _"You will be better than the Angels."_ And then Caru wakes up.

She wakes up on a bed of grass high above the Heart of Thorns. She is completely nude now, and she can feel power in her veins. This must be how it feels to be Reborn. She can hear the jungle birds calling out around her and she sighs peacefully.

She looks around and realizes she is next to the house she saw on her way to the ritual, now completely finished. The walls are purple and pink, shining in the daylight filtered through the treetops.

She closes her eyes and lays back, allowing herself to be comforted by the serene landscape, when a shout echoes from below.

"Caru!" It's Saint, the voice distant but unmistakable. "Are you alright?"

"Yes." Caru calls, her voice sounding strange. "I'm up here Saint."

"I'm coming." He gets lifted to the top by Mordremoth's tendril. As he gets set down, he turns and pets it, which squirms in his hand. Then he turns to Caru and his jaw drops.

Caru stares at him, confused and amused. "What's wrong?" She looks behind her and sees nothing. Giggling, she stands up and walks toward him, trying to put a sway in her step. "Saint, why are you stunned? Cmon, talk to me."

Saint closes his mouth and stutters. "Well...I...Now I know why….Mother told me to grab this." He pulls out a small mirror with a purple handle and hands it to Caru.

She takes the mirror and stares into it, not believing her eyes. "I'm…..Beautiful." She whispers.

Her face has no blemishes! The roots are gone and now it looks as smooth as a flower's petal. Her hair looks like actual petals, rose petals. Her ears are roses. All her facial features seem more defined, her eyes sharp and her lips soft.

"Mother granted your wish." Saint whispers to her, and Caru looks at him and smiles. He is blushing furiously and trying not to stare at her.

"Do you know what my wish was?" She asks him. He shakes his head and averts his gaze. "My wish was to be be beautiful for you."

Saint snaps his fingers and suddenly a single rose with purple petals and no thorns grows from the ground. Gently, he plucks the small rose from the ground and places it in Caru's graceful hair. She looks at it in the mirror, adjusts it slightly, then whispers. "Perfect."

Saint smiles at her and hugs her. "I love you Caru." He says in her ear. She shivers at the feeling of him so close.

She smiles. "I love you too Saint." She kisses him and takes his hand, leading him to the house. She takes him to the bedroom and lays down. "Make me yours." She whimpers.

 **...That is all I feel like writing. You can use your imagination as to what happens next.**

 **The song Saint sang was "Nightmare" by Natewantstobattle. It was the acoustic version.**

 **The final story, Ocras's, will be out next year. Thanks for reading.**


	7. Ocras' Story

**The final chapter, the most brutal yet… I think. I mean, Caru's was pretty bad, but it's all an opinion. Hope you like this one.**

Zustatek didn't know whether to feel happy or sad for Caru. She couldn't imagine how painful it was. "Caru… I'm so sorry for you."

"Don't be Zustatek." Caru waves off her words with a smile. "I am glad I was able to meet Saint." She reaches out and holds his hand. "He has given me so much."

Saint smiles. "I don't think I would still be sane if you hadn't come into my life."

Zustatek smirks at the two lovebirds and coughs lightly. "While I would hate to interrupt, I came here to learn about the Reborn. So if we could not get distracted please."

Caru pouts but shrugs. "Very well. Onto Ocras."

"Ocras was a Sylvari who grew to love cooking. He loved every second he could spend in the kitchen. Making meat tender and juicy, making soups with the perfect toss of ingredients to give it that extra kick, and making fruit and vegetable combos so perfect he could use overripe fruits and you couldn't tell the difference!"

"He was the best he ever met, beating most other races' chefs in all sorts of competitions. People would pay double or triple for some of his food. Then he came to Divinity's Reach and scored second in the Krytan Cooking Contest. However, instead of being surprised or depressed, Ocras found the chef who beat him, a fifty year old chef named Zachary who had worked in Queen Jennah's kitchen since he was twenty."

"Ocras begged and pleaded with Zachary to allow Ocras to shadow him, to become his apprentice. Originally he didn't approve, not trusting Sylvari as a whole what with Scarlet's actions. But after seeing Ocras' abilities, he had a change of heart and allowed him to work with him."

Saint continues after she stops. "After two years of working with Zachary, Ocras' life was going perfectly. He was able to afford a house and enough money left over for luxuries. Queen Jennah didn't even know that he was the one making the breakfasts."

"One day walking home from his work he found a young human child in an alley.."

"Come out little one. I do not wish to harm you." Ocras holds out both his hands in a peaceful gesture and walks steadily toward the boy. The child whimpers and backs away, tripping on some garbage as he goes.

"Don't hurt me sir." He says softly, crawling away. The boy is dirty, his hair is ragged and so covered in muck Ocras can't tell if he has brown hair or black. His clothes are scratched and tattered, equal to little more than rags.

"Why would I wish to hurt you?" Ocras asks, smiling. "You have done nothing to provoke me."

The boy reaches into his vest pocket and pulls out an apple. "I took this from a food cart… I thought you were going to make me give it back."

Ocras smiled and slowly stands up. "Come with me, little one." He walks out of the alley and the boy, scared, scrambles to his feet and follows.

"Who did you steal from?" Ocras asks and the young boy points down the road to a fruit cart. The vendor is busy with another customer, and Ocras realizes he didn't even notice the boy's theft of one apple.

Ocras stands behind the customer and waits patiently. The boy does his best to hide behind Ocras as they step up to the vendor.

"Hello sir." The man says in a cheerful tone. "What would you like to buy from my small cart."

Ocras looks at the assortment of fruits and shrugs. "It has come to my attention that this young man has stolen an apple from your food cart."

The vendor's eyes narrow and he looks down at the child. "Did he now? Well I am certain his parents are mighty displeased with him. Go and grab your parents. Now!" The last word is growled at the boy, who whimpers fearfully.

"I do not know my parents, sir." He says softly and the man growls again.

"I should have known you were an orphan. Nobody keeps an eye on those pests." He holds out one of his large hands and snarls. "Give me the apple."

With shaky hands, the boy reaches around Ocras and hands him the apple, now dirty from being inside his pocket. "Ruined." The man says and the boy whimpers once more.

Ocras never takes his eyes off the man through the whole ordeal. After a bit of silence he sighs and says. "How much?"

"Eh?" The man takes out a small cloth, and wipes down the apple, making it shine. He breathes on it and wipes again, then sets it down back with the others. "For what?"

"For the apple. How much?" Ocras says and the man glances him up and down.

"Too much for you to afford, Sylvari." The man grumbles and turns away from him. Ocras lets out a short bark of laughter and takes a gold coin out of his pouch, then places it on the cart.

"How many apples can I buy with this?" He asks and the man glances back. His eyes widen in astonishment.

He grabs the coin and holds it up to the sun. "By the Six." He whispers. He then looks Ocras over again, this time with a smile. "For this, my friend, I can give you ten bulks of twenty five. Though I doubt you need so many."

"Actually." Ocras murmurs. "Queen Jennah's court has a great fondness for pies and I need a lot of apples for the apple pies. So I will take eight bulks."

The man stares at Ocras in shock. "You're the one that works with old Zachary in our fair Lady's kitchen?"

Ocras smiles smugly and nods. "The one and only."

The man bows lowly. "I am so sorry for my rude comment M'Lord. I didn't mean nothing by it."

Ocras waves his hand in a bored motion. "It's nothing I am not used to. I don't like to wave my Apprenticeship around like it will save my life."

"Of course." The man says. "So eight bulks of apples. Will that be all?"

Ocras looks down at the boy staring longingly at the mangoes and smiles. "Two bulks of those please."

The man smiles and wraps the mangoes up. "And you have already paid for it all. Thank you for the business." He then gestures for the next customer to step forward.

Ocras puts the bulks of apples in his pack and hands the boy the two bulks of mangoes. Then he begins walking home. The boy, after a moment's hesitation, follows. "Don't you need to go back to the orphanage little one?" Ocras asks.

The boy shakes his head. "I have nowhere to go sir." He looks up at Ocras with a pleading look in his eyes. "I have no home."

Ocras looks at him and smiles. "Do you want to come home with me?" He asks and the boy nods vigorously. Ocras smiles wider and continues to walk home.

"Sir?" The boy says again and Ocras glances back. "When we get home, may I have a pie you talked about?"

That was a year and a half ago. The child never left Ocras, who adopted him as a son for the most part. The cheerful child has brought a big light into Ocras's life and home. The home is a small one, with only a living room, a bathroom, a kitchen, and two bedrooms, but it is still large enough for both of them to live comfortably. All the rooms are have typical furnishings except the living room, which has a large Elonian greatsword in its sheath hanging on the wall.

"Ocras?" The boy shouted through the small house, now eight years old. He has cleaned up and now grown handsomely, with brown hair and fair skin. "We need to find some passion fruit!"

"In time Daniel." Ocras says from the foyer, putting a coat on. "You know how hard it is to find. We have to wait for the trade caravans"

Daniel laughs. "We will be waiting forever then!" He walks up to Ocras with a goofy grin. "Nobody has passion fruit in their carts anymore. And you know how much I love those fruits!"

Ocras nods. "It used to be so easy to acquire. People were constantly coming to and from Southsun Cove." He says wistfully. "Now they rarely travel there for fear of the Karka."

Daniel nods too, copying Ocras without notice. "We'll just need to look extra hard." He says cheerfully.

Ocras smiles and ruffles the boy's brown hair. "Yes we will." He opens the front door and steps outside, only to have Daniel suddenly lunge out and hug him. Ocras nearly loses his footing but manages to stay upright.

"Where are you going?" He asks and Ocras smiles wider.

"I won't be going anywhere dangerous. Do not worry. There's a party tonight in the Ossan Quarter and Zachary can't cook for everyone alone." He returns the hug then gently slides Daniel off him and pushes him softly in the house. "Remember don't unlock this door." He orders as he shuts it.

He hears Daniel's muffled, "You've told me a thousand times." as he locks the door. He whistles a tune as he walks along the ring of the Reach to the Ossan Quarter, to the job he loves so much.

"Ocras, we need more clam chowder over here." Zachary shouts, his voice just barely above the party. "Minister Ailoda has taken a liking to it." The respective minister smiles at the sylvari and nods vigorously, holding out her bowl like a beggar.

Ocras chuckles at the sight and sets to work, grabbing a bowl of creamy soup for the base and sprinkling in chopped potatoes, onions, and of course, clams. Then, to make it the way Zachary does, he adds a slight pinch of dill sprig and placed it all above the fire. "It's cooking Zach."

Zachary nods and turns to Ailoda with a sorry look. She shrugs her shoulders and gets a plate for a different meal.

Ocras looks away from the Minister, confident Zachary can handle her and refocuses his attention on the salad he was currently tossing, and realizes he was spilling a lot of it. Cursing under his breath at his foolishness, he gathers up the leaves and places them back into the bowl. He begins mixing again when a small giggle arises from in front of him across the table. He looks up and his jaw drops in surprise.

Standing in front of him is the most beautiful Sylvari he has ever had the pleasure to witness. Her skin is orange and her hair is yellow, in a pattern he has never seen before. Her eyes are a light green and has a look of innocence to them. She was dressed in a noble woman's clothes and has her hands put together in front of her, staring at Ocras with a small smile on her face. "May I have an apple pie?"

Ocras shuts his mouth with an audible _clop_ and quickly nods, breaking his gaze from the beautiful girl. "Of course Miss." He moves over to desserts table and cuts a slice of apple pie, placing it on a plate and handing it to her.

She grabs a fork and takes a bite of the pie. Instantly her face lights up in pleasure and she moans, then takes another bite and does it again. She swallows the piece and turns around, looking at the crowd. "Jared, you must come try this! It is delicious!"

A male Sylvari looks up from a conversation he is having with some Ministers. He politely excuses himself and walks over. As he does, Ocras takes the opportunity to look him over. The newcomer has dark black skin, the opposite of Ocras's pale, ghostly skin. His hair is spiky and pulled backward, each ending with a tip of dark blue. He smiles at Ocras as he approaches and wraps an arm around the shorter girl.

For some reason Ocras feels a twinge of jealousy, but quickly puts it to rest. "Hello sir. What would you like?"

Jared looks over the pies and points to the blueberry one. As Ocras cuts a slice and hands it to him, he asks. "You make these yourself, brother?"

Ocras raises an eyebrow at the 'brother' comment, but nods. "I'm in charge of desserts and breakfasts, but Zachary makes the main meals. Never met anyone who could beat him, even me!" He chuckles at the memory of that competition.

Jared nods and takes a bite of the pie. The reaction is almost identical to the girl's and he says. (with his mouth full, Ocras notes) "Susan, you have to have some of this!"

Susan giggles and says. "Isn't that exactly what I told you?" She catches Ocras gaze and winks casually. He quickly looks down at the table, suddenly very interested in the his favorite kitchen knife.

Jared stabs a piece of the blueberry pie and holds it out for Susan, who eats it with a smile and moans again. "Sir if this is how you cook, we must schedule something! I would love to get to know you, and maybe these recipes" She says with a pleading look in her eyes.

Ocras chuckles as he sets the knife delicately on the table. "Sure, you can come by tomorrow. I'm certain Daniel will love your company."

"Daniel?" Jared asks, more focused on his pie then actually finishing the question. Eventually he manages to say. "Who is Daniel?"

"My adopted son. He is very cheerful and very well disciplined, don't worry. And I'm certain he will be very happy with the idea of me making more pies." He shares a laugh with Jared and Susan, then writes down his address on a napkin and asks. "Will tomorrow be okay for you?"

Jared looks at Susan, who gives a slight nod, and he takes the napkin and says. "Not as if we have anything better to do. We will be at Melandru's Plaza at five o'clock that evening so you may show us there, if that is ok with you."

Ocras nods. "That will be perfect, considering my home is in the western commons near there." He shakes Jared's hand and says. "My name's Ocras, by the way."

"Jared, and my love Susan." He says, though Ocras already heard it multiple times. 'Doesn't hurt to be polite, I suppose.'

Susan looks up at the sky and says softly. "We should be heading home now Jared. It is getting dark."

Jared looks at her and whines pitifully. "But I haven't got to try the Canthan Rice Wine! I hear it is aged to perfe-"

"We are leaving." Susan interrupts curtly, and Jared flinches as if struck. She wraps her arm around his and quickly leads him to the door, giving a small wave goodbye to Ocras, who stands and watches the ordeal with a grin plastered on his face.

"What a strange couple." He murmurs, turning his attention to Minister Ailoda. "Clam chowder's ready, Minister!"

He never saw a minister runs so fast in his life.

"Daniel, I am going to get some foods for our guests. Stay put." Ocras says as he walks out the front door, shutting it and walking away. It's a day after the party, fifteen minutes before five, and Ocras goes to do some last minute shopping. 'Nothing like a deadline to keep someone from spree shopping'

He passes most of the food carts, instead opting for one in a shady spot under Grenth's arch. The cart is run by a thirty five year old woman who Ocras knows well. She is one of the few people in the town to look at him as a person instead of a sylvari, without any sort of prompting.

"Hello Ocras." She says politely, smiling and waving with a flutter of her fingers.

"Hello Jessica." He answers, bowing his head slightly. "Anything new in stock?"

Jessica nods her head. "Fresh passion fruit, right off the Cove. And some grapes from Beetletun."

"Passion fruit." Ocras can't believe his good fortune. "May I have two bulks of that? It's so rare nowadays."

She nods her head as she packs them up. "Trying times, we're in. Most traders don't get the rare foods from dangerous places anymore." Then she changes the subject. "How's Daniel?"

Ocras smiles fondly. "Still that cheerful energetic young boy you saw last week. A little more rebellious, but that's to be expected, after you encouraged him to disobey me and chase after that charr cub."

Jessica waves her hand dismissively. "Oh please Ocras, they were playing tag! Lighten up, the cub was harmless."

Ocras glares at her from over the counter. She shifts uncomfortably from one foot to another as he says. "He may have been harmless, his mother was not."

She opens her mouth to retort, but stops herself at the memory of the one eyed charr mother. She nods glumly. "I understand. I apologize for what I did." Then her almost perfect white smile returns and she asks. "Anything else?"

"Nope, just came to see if I could find some new stock. And I'm very glad I did." He turns and strolls away, waving his goodbye to Jessica.

Ocras opens the bulk and surveys the Passion fruit. Each is in near perfect condition, but any wise chef knows to look over his produce before even considering what he could make. He pulls the top one out of the bag and looks it over, checking for bruise or smudges. He eventually places it back, satisfied, and quickens his pace. It always worried him to leave Daniel home alone.

"Shoot!" Ocras mumbles, fumbling with his keys and dropping them. He picks them up and unlocks the house, calling out. "Daniel, I'm home." He walks to the kitchen and places the bulk onto the countertop. "Jessica got a stock of Passion Fruit, so we don't need to search the whole of the Reach to find it." He chuckles. "Nor do we have to trade with the Black Lion, thankfully."

He sits, waiting for Daniel's ecstatic cheer, but not a sound comes from the house. Curious, he walks to Daniel's room, expecting him to be fast asleep. Strangely, there is no sign of the boy.

Now worried, Ocras calls out. "Daniel! Where are you?" He starts expecting Daniel to jump out and yell. "Surprise!" Once again, Ocras is disappointed.

Ocras wanders into the living room and notices the child's head just above his chair. Smiling, he circles the chair, saying. "Daniel what are you doing? Couldn't you he-" His breath catches in his throat as he realizes that Daniel isn't sitting in the chair willingly. He's been tied down to it and gagged. Tears are streaming down his face and he looks up at Ocras fearfully.

Ocras gasps and draws his dagger, reaching down to cut the binds, when a metal bar slams into the back of his skull and he falls to the ground, stunned.

"You weren't supposed to be home yet." A voice says, female. It sounds so distant.

"This is what happens when you don't survey an area before executing a theft. Now we have two innocent people we have to dispose of." That one is male, and judging from the big words, obviously spent time with asurans.

The woman snorts. "We only need dispose of the sylvari. The child we could take with us, make a new recruit."

That roused Ocras. The thought of losing Daniel managed to penetrate his dulled mind, and it immediately jumped into action. He leaped up to his feet before the male could finish binding him. "He's awake!" He shrieked, running backward quickly to the safety of the girl, who is obviously annoyed at the action, his and Ocras's.

She draws her two daggers and circles Ocras, who is still shaking off the daze. "Why don't you lay back down sylvari. Let us leave with all your loot."

Suddenly a third man walks in from the kitchen munching on a banana. "Boss, this guy has a lot of food. I know you said look for valuables but this guy has a lot of food so I grabbed some of that. Our chef suc-" He stops as he sees what is happening.

Ocras takes the opportunity to lunge at the girl, snatching her daggers away. He holds them both shakingly, trying to re-awaken the necromancer skills he was born with.

The girl rushes at him, but he slashes the dagger at her, leaving a green trail. The trail scratches her arm, but she ignores it and tackles Ocras to the ground.

One dagger slips from his grasp, but with the other he manages a slash under her guard and rolls on the ground so she is under him. He grabs her by the throat and slides the blade under it.

She whimpers at the feeling of cold steel under her neck and he growls. "Stop fighting." She carefully nods.

A gun cocking freezes both of them and one of the men says loudly. "Let her go."

Ocras over his shoulder, pressing the blade close to her neck, but what he sees makes him drop it immediately. The man who had taken the food has a gun pointed at Daniel's head, fresh tears in his eyes. "Dad!" He screamed and Ocras almost fell apart there. He had called Ocras his father. He almost never did that.

"Hands where I can see them!" The man shouts, disappointed Ocras is compiling. He wanted to have to kill someone. "Lay down."

Ocras lays down facing toward him, craning his neck to look at Daniel, who looks at him fearfully. The girl stands up and places her boot on his back. "Glad to see you have some bright ideas Morty. Now let the kid go."

Ocras strained harder to look at the man's face, then at Daniel's. The poor boy was crying hard, staring at Ocras on the ground. Anger surged through Ocras like a tidal wave, and he wanted nothing more than to see these monsters dead and gone, so his son doesn't have to deal with them. The anger seems to trickle into his arm and he thrusts it forward.

A ball of green energy snakes out of his hand and does a loop to get behind the man. He whips around and shouts. "Enough! I will kill the boy you fool!"

Ocras takes the hesitation as weakness and makes the ball circle faster. Morty tries hard to keep it to his front, spinning wildly. Eventually he screams. "Enough!" The ball of energy freezes, then turns and dives straight at his head at a wave of Ocras' hand.

Morty, quick to survive, pulls Daniel into the line of fire just as the ball gets close enough.

Daniel didn't even have a chance to scream before the shot tore into his skull. Ocras watched helplessly as the light in his boy's eyes died. And it was all his fault.

"Damnit Morty!" The girl shrieks, but to Ocras is seemed distant again. "You know the penalty for killing is a lot higher than the penalty for robbery!"

Morty shrugs and drops the corpse dismissively, as if it was a sack of garbage. "We weren't expecting people to be home. This plan has fallen apart, and now it is time to improvise." He points the gun at Ocras.

Ocras stares down the dark foreboding barrel in front of him and snarls in sheer anger and rage. He feels dark power course through his body, fueling him with power. A spectral aura goes up around him, dark and black, and a scythe suddenly forms in his hand. To Ocras, it felt like a weapon he was born to use.

To Morty, it was a sign something had gone terribly wrong. "What the hell?!" He shouts in surprise, pulling the trigger repeatedly. Ocras barely flinches at the shots as they brush harmlessly off the black coat.

Ocras stands and grabs Morty's head, who his firing rapidly into Ocras's chest. "Your soul is MINE!" Ocras shouts angrily into the man's face, his voice ten times louder than normal. Morty's eyes roll back into his skull and his face goes pasty white. Shaking, he crumbles to the floor, no longer able to stand.

"What the hell did you do?!" The girl cries, and Ocras looks at her with his dark, foreboding eyes. She shivers in fear and he smiles darkly, then lunges at her. A shriek in terror and fear just manages to escape her lips before her head and body are separated.

The last man comes to reality in a flash and draws his sword and shield. Ocras looks him over and just turns away from him. The man stands confused for a moment, when overwhelming fear suddenly grips him. Terrified, he turns and runs down the hallway.

Ocras releases the Reaper energy and goes to the wall holding the Elonian sword. He gently takes the sword off its place on the wall and places it on his back. Then he turns back and follows the man down the hall, his bloodlust not quenched just yet.

The man looks at Ocras in defiance, the fear now gone. Ocras unsheathes the greatsword and the man smiles. He was a warrior in the Seraph army. He used his connections to make sure guards didn't patrol down here. and now he was using his training to asses the situation. Necromancers can't use greatswords. The weapon will be cumbersome in the opponent's hands. He could easily pull off a disarm, followed by a quick thrust between the ribs. He begins his assault with a slash at the hands.

Ocras smirks and brings the greatsword up with ease, slanting it so the sword goes down at an angle. The man follows his sword, and Ocras brings the sword up to chest level, pointing it at the man. A dark spiral forms around the sword and he thrusts forward, causing the spiral to pierce through the enemy's upraised shield and go right through his chest, stopping his heart with black magic.

As he crumpled to the ground, a green ball of life force seeps from his body and joins with Ocras', building upon his own. Ocras sheathes the sword, the smirk still plastered on his face. Then a vision comes to him; the scene from the living room. He stops smiling and runs back to the living room. Daniel is still lying on the ground awkwardly from being thrown there. Ocras rushes to his son and holds him up. He places a finger up to the boy's neck.

Nothing. Ocras bends over his boy and cries hard, sobbing uncontrollably. He didn't save him.

Minutes pass when the front door swings open suddenly, but Ocras doesn't look up at sound, or the sudden influx of light. However, a women's gasp and a man's curse to some mother makes him look up, his eyes filled with tears and not adjusting completely to the light. Someone, probably the man, runs up to him and shoves him away from Daniel. "Ocras, what have you done?!" The man shouts.

Jared takes the greatsword out of its sheath. Susan runs to Daniel, chanting something as she touches her fingers to the sides of his head. Ocras tries to get up and stop her, but Jared holds him down, even as he thrashes.

"He's gone." Susan whispers when she stops chanting. She turns and looks at Ocras in fear. "What happened?"

Ocras breaks down. He pulls his legs up to his arms and cries freely again. Susan looks at Jared, who shrugs his shoulders and steps away from Ocras. Susan crawls up to his crying form and places her hand on his shoulder. He looks up for a moment, and in that moment Susan takes some pink powder out of her pouch and blows into his face.

Surprised, Ocras gasps and the pollen-like substance enters his nostrils. Susan talks again, and her voice becomes calming and soothing, almost like the Pale Tree's. "Tell me everything, and Saint and I will help you."

The name Saint rings a bell deep within Ocras's mind, but he focuses more on Susan's question. "I went to get food from Jessica, and when I came back Daniel was tied up." Despite what he is talking about, despite the fact that tears still form in his eyes, he is smiling blissfully, almost stupidly. "I was knocked to the ground by the lady and almost tied up too, but I managed to gain the upper hand for a moment. Then one of the men." He pauses to think about his name. "Morty, grabbed my son. I tried to kill him but my son still died."

His son. Was Daniel really his? He must have been, he called Ocras his father. Or was that just the heat of the moment, and he heard wrong? So much had happened today in the span of a few hours, so who knew? Not that it mattered. Did anything matter? Not really.

He realizes he blanked out and quickly apologizes, only to realize Susan is no longer standing near him, but next to Jared. Or was it Saint? Wasn't Saint a wanted criminal for interfering with those silly World vs. World games? Or was he the one that helped the pirate captain escape from the Lionguard into the jungle?

"Ocras?" Jared says again, snapping Ocras out of his train of thought. "We need to leave. Are you willing to… Go on vacation with us?"

Ocras smiles at him. "Vacation sounds great." He stands up slowly and steps toward them both, sheathing his greatsword. "Would Daniel be coming with us?" Daniel can't be, he is dead, but it never hurt to ask.

Susan smiles sweetly at him, and he smiles back. "Don't worry about Daniel, we hired a nice girl to look after him." She says and Ocras finds himself nodding along with what she says. She gently wraps her hand around his and leads him to the door. "C'mon Ocras, let's race to the gate!" She takes off, giggling happily that makes Ocras smile wider somehow. Jared quickly runs after her, but something makes Ocras turn around.

A girl in a blue hooded cloak is looking at him, holding her nose as the door that Susan opened had hit her in face. Ocras smiles at her, guessing her to be the girl Susan was talking about, and Ocras points to the doorway. He then turns and runs after his friends. He glances over his shoulder to see that the girl had ran inside his home.

"C'mon Ocras, we can't let Susan beat us!" Jared shouts from ahead and Ocras turns back to him, racing with him, his troubles gone for the moment. Soon, they all come flooding back.

They were all sitting at the river, watching it and chatting peacefully, when Ocras finally broke free of the drug's effects. He blinked repeatedly, the memories startling him. Had he really been so ignorant in those moments?

A tear rolls down his cheek and Susan looks at him. "Ocras sweetie, are you well?" Her voice sounds different, not sweet anymore, now strained.

Jared smiles at her. "You sound tired my love. Maybe you should drop the spell. After all, if Ocras is going to join us, he needs to see the real us."

Susan stares at him, confused and shocked. "Are you sure? The pollen is wearing off. He might not take it well."

Jared nods. "I'm sure. Drop the illusion."

Susan waves a hand glowing with purple energy. Ocras stares as her skin morphs and shifts, becoming purple before his eyes. Her beautiful face doesn't morph, but she becomes thinner, her ears change from grooves to roses, and her hair shifts from a yellow ponytail to long purple leaves obscuring the left side of her face. The ends of the leaves are curled, each ending in a light glowing pink.

Jared also morphs, his skin no longer dark black but green, and his hair no longer spiked and made of bark, instead changing to light green leaves with gold glowing streaks streaking to the right. His ears become noticeably sharper and tilt downward.

Terrified, Ocras leaps backwards, almost hitting the campfire in the middle the camp "What in the world are you!?" He shouts.

Tentatively, Susan puts a warm hand on his shoulder as if to calm him. "Don't worry, we're still your friends, we're just… different then most."

Jared snorts in disdain. "Yeah." He says. "Better than most."

Susan looks at him over her shoulder and he immediately shuts his mouth. Obviously Susan is the one with the power here.

"Don't be afraid." Susan says again, as if those words were actually working. Ocras was terrified, so much so that he was shaking. "We want to help you."

"How?" He asked, his voice as shaky as he was. "You dragged me from my home, somehow with my permission for most of it. What do you want?"

"I told you," she said. "We just want to help. Please trust us." She used her sweet voice for those last three words. The same voice that convinced him to leave his home and leave Daniel. Somehow he became convinced again that they weren't going to hurt him, no matter what.

Obviously he had not fully shaken off the effect of whatever pollen she had breathed into his face. When Jared spoke he also sounded convincing. "We just want to show you your full potential." he said softly. They both began saying promises to him. Promises of revenge, power, happiness, things you would hear from a cult. But each word sounded so true.

Slowly he began to nod with what they were saying, talking about dragging him to the jungle for some sort of ritual. Some sort of ritual from Mother that would cleanse him of all his worries and troubles.

He wanted to say that they were crazy, that he didn't want to go along with it. But at the same time it sounded so strangely compelling. He decided to go along with them decided to try whatever they were trying to suggest to them. But deep in his mind he couldn't tell if this was his thinking or not.

"Fine." He whispered when their suggestions became slow as they tried to think of more. "I'll come along." He looks at both of them, focusing on Susan. "For Susan, I suppose."

She smiles sweetly. "Oh Ocras, that's not my name. My name is Caru, and this is Saint. Thank you so much for agreeing… You have no idea how much this means to me." She stands up, Saint copying her like a dog obediently following its master. "We might want to get going. The sooner we get there, the sooner you can be rewarded with everything we promised."

"While we are going," Saint interrupts. "You should start thinking about a wish. What you really, really want from Mother. She will grant it as best she can, in time or automatically." He goes down to the lake with a bucket to get water to put out the fire.

Susan, now known as Caru, walks up to Ocras with a sway in her step and kisses him. He stares at her, stunned and looking back at Saint fearfully. "When we get back, even if Mother doesn't reward you, I will." She whispers and Ocras stares at her, his eyes going even wider. She giggles at his expression and turns back to the campsite to grab her pack.

Saint comes and dumps the water on the firepit, making smoke leap into the air and blow in Caru's direction. "C'mon then!" He says, picking up his backpack and holding it with one arm. "Let's get moving! Rewards await us!" He begins moving toward Kessex Canyon in a jog. Caru looks at Ocras and winks, then runs after Saint. Ocras regains his senses and rushes after them, scooping up his own pack as he runs. No going back now.

Once passed the Silverwastes it was easy to avoid the Jungle Hylek and Wyvern thanks to Saint. Despite this, getting to what Saint referred to as the "Heart of Thorns," was slow going due to Ocras being unaccustomed to the jungle terrain. And the fact that he had turned and ran when he found out "Mother" was really Mordremoth.

Saint had to track him back through most of the jungle and convince him Mordremoth was not evil before he stopped running, and by then he had almost made it to the Silverwastes again.

Saint had told him to think about his wish and Ocras had. He kept sinking deep into his mind, thinking long and hard about it. Two things always came back through, flashing like fireflies. He wanted his son back, and he wanted to no longer feel pain.

Ocras knew the first one would be impossible, but the second one…. Surely it can be done by a Dragon of Minds? Can Mordremoth, or Mother, as Saint and Caru constantly remind him, actually do that for him?

Caru constantly looked over her shoulder at him as they walked, a twinkle in her eyes. Ocras always had to look at the ground to avoid blushing. He wasn't naive. He knew what Caru meant by reward, and some part of him told him that even if this was all a fluke, that reward would be worth it.

Ocras shook his head to get rid of those thoughts as Saint shouted, "Ead, I can see you among the trees! Come see our new brother!"

Ocras jumps back and reaches for his greatsword as a sylvari with a camouflage pattern on his armor leaps from the trees and lands safely on the ground below. Ocras glances up at the trees and almost faints at the idea of leaping from that height.

"New brother, ay?" Ead asks, looking him over. "He seems formidable… I like the look of him."

Caru wipes her brow as if she was sweating. "Thank Mother." She says with a grin. "It's not just me."

They all laugh, then Ead takes the lead ahead of Saint and leads them to a cave covered with the roots of trees above. With a wave of his hand the roots part away to let the group travel faster into a dark cavern leading to a beautiful opening.

On the other side of the cave a sprawling city on par with the Grove looms. Vines form bridges for the Mordrem marching everywhere. Saint leads the way across one of the bridges and into a dimly lit cave. Ocras looks back toward the entrance and realizes Caru and Ead have both stopped, waving goodbye.

"Don't worry brother." Saint says calmly, looking back to him. "They do not need to accompany us to Mother's shrine."

Swiping away a wall of vines, Saint steps out into a clearing of grass, illuminated by a hole in the roof. The center of the clearing is completed with a giant white sunflower-esc flower. Surrounding it in a line, six flowers are frozen in bloom, each a different species and color. At the end of the left row a sprout has forced its way out of the ground, a single leaf on its back.

Saint bows to the flower and the wind pushes it down to bow back, somehow. Ocras marvels at the act but then Saint turns to him with a warm smile. "Kneel here brother." He says, gesturing to a flat rock on the ground in front of the flower. "I will begin."

Ocras obeys, sitting on his legs and placing his hands on his knees. "You like the monks of old." Saint says behind him with a snicker. Ocras growls slightly at him and he shrugs. "Alright, I'll get on with it."

"Oh Sweet Mother, please allow your guidance to seep into the mind of this wayward soul. Please, for the sake of the many Mordrem and the lost sylvari, allow him to lead our kin to their truth, as we have to him. Mother, make him strong to carry out your wishes, make him wise enough to think of him own. Give him the power he needs to lead the sylvari to a new age. One free of pain and strife. One free of death and chaos. One free of the scourge of man."

Ocras squints his eyes, trying to think of what those words could mean, when something stabs into the back of his head and all his senses go blank around him.

Screaming loudly, Ocras leaps to his feet and draws his greatsword out of its sheath. The world around him has changed drastically. No longer is he in the middle of the jungle. Now he stands in the middle of the garden in Divinity's Reach. All around him animal sounds arise from different areas and he feels the pleasant smell of the royal flowers soothing him.

" _So this is the human's garden? How pitiful."_ A voice echoes in his head. _"I could build one twenty times this size if I were allowed to roam free."_

"Who are you? Show yourself!" Ocras roars, wheeling around over and over looking for the source of our voice.

" _You cannot see me Ocras. Do not be so afraid."_ The voice rumbles in his head. _"My children did not bring you all the way here to be killed."_

Ocras still refused to calm down, despite all his senses ordering him to. He begins walking toward what he believes to be the source of the voice, when it speaks again from behind him, making him freeze.

" _Trust in me, Ocras. I do not wish to punish you or harm you in any way I swear. Please sheath the sword."_ The voice sounds more stern and demanding now, like a mother scolding a child for saying no to chores.

Ocras growls. "Why should I? I have no reason to trust you! Show yourself!"

" _Very well."_ A shadow passes over his head and he quickly looks up. A dragon slams into one of the giant pots that holds the plants of the royal garden, shattering it into pieces and spraying ceramic everywhere.

Ocras is forced to cover his face to keep the shards from slashing his eyes, and by the time he lowers his hand he finds himself face to eye with the dragon.

Mordremoth stares at Ocras with her lips curled into what could be a smirk. _"Better?"_ The voice echoes in his head. _"Dear child, I swear upon my father and mother of old that I do not mean you any harm. I want to help you. All I ask for is loyalty."_

"You want to make me a slave to your whims!" Ocras screams "I have already gone through so much pain, how could what you plan be any worse!" He sheathes his sword and sits down on the ground. "Do what you want, monster."

" _Sweet child…"_ The voice pauses, and somehow Ocras senses the dragon shifting through his memories. She pauses and her breathing becomes strained. _"Oh Elders… They killed their own hatchling?"_

"Not theirs… You don't understand humans, do you?" Ocras looks at the eyes of the dragon. "Why do you fight them if you don't understand them?"

" _I understand enough to know they are greedy monsters that want everything they can get even if it isn't theirs"_ Mordremoth growls. _"That they slaughter that which they don't understand and they abuse what they do. Tell me, is this not true?"_

Ocras shudders. "No. You are not wrong. They are monsters. But they do good too!"

" _Oh yes."_ She growls _"Good at the expense of others. Good that requires they enslave the lower races and… Kill harmless children."_ She spits. _"They deserve no mercy from you or I Ocras"_

Ocras stares into the dragon's eye defiantly. "They deserve as much mercy as you do for destroying the world."

Mordremoth growls, a deep sound despite the feminine voice she is using in his head. _"I never wished to destroy the world! I never have and I never will! Your ''Allies" have been lying to you for too long Ocras."_

Ocras frowns at her words. It seemed to him that the dragon wasn't lying, but how could what she is saying be true? "The dragons have obliterated the world once before. You are trying to do it again."

" _You weren't there!"_ Though the dragon's face showed no sign of the conversation in Ocras's head, her voice sounded strained and full of pain. _"You weren't there when humanity rose to power. You weren't there when they slaughtered countless races to claim new land for their empire! My race wanted to destroy them, but the gods refused our pleas, instead listening to the race they made in their own image. We tried and failed to fight them. We wanted to destroy them all._

 _But they. Don't. Die!"_

Ocras stares at her in wonder as she tears up. _"My parents were one of the groups who buried their eggs deep underground in hopes of continuing the blood line of dragons once humanity perished. But they are still here! Now my brethren and I have only one hope. We must fight. We have to fight. Or die trying."_

" _Ocras."_ Mordremoth sighs and when she speaks again, her voice is a whisper, soft, delicate, and full of passion. She was singing. _"I'm not the crazed killer, you think I am. I'm just here ready to see vengeance through. Hatred. Bloodlust. They're all irelavant to. The moment when my jaws, close down on you."_

Ocras stares at her, speechless at her voice, as she continues. _"My parents sang that song to me when I was in my egg. It's the only thing I remember from them. I've taught that song to all my children. If you fight for a noble cause. If you kill for a noble cause. You must. Keep. Fighting."_

Ocras smiles at her."If your cause is noble… If you will have me here to help… I think you will like to hear my wish." She turns her head to look at him better as he continues. "I never want to be hurt again. Physical, emotional. I never want to feel pain."

Mordremoth smirks, but her voice is filled with worry. _"Ocras child, there is a price to such a wish. Are you sure this is what you want?"_

Ocras blinks and nods. "Yes, this is what I want. I'm sure… Mother."

" _Very well. When you awaken, so it shall be."_ She reaches down and nuzzles him with her snout, almost pushing him over. _"Good luck. Trust me, you will be my strongest child yet."_ And than the dream shattered like glass.

Ocras stirred awake slowly and reached to climb out of his bed, only to find that he was not anywhere near it. Nor was he in the Dream again.

He is floating in a pod high above the Heart's floor. Carefully, he touches the pod's walls with his hands, pushing to break free.

The pod bursts open and in a rain of juice Ocras falls to the ground. He slams hard into the jungle floor, right on his arm. He hears the bone snap out of place and cries out in expected pain.

Suddenly an unexplainable joy overloads his mind, and instead of screaming out in pain, Ocras laughs like a maniac. His laughter makes him forget the pain in his arm, and he grasps it with one hand, snapping it back into place and making him laugh even harder.

'I can't feel pain!' His confused mind pieces together. He tries to cheer, for the words of joy to get caught in his throat and burn.

"Ocras!" Saint shouts as he runs over, followed by Caru. "Brother, are you ok."

Ocras looks up at him and smiles crazily. "Ne… Ne." He tries to talk, tries to say ''Never better!" But the words hurt as they come up, which only causes him to laugh more in pure, insane joy.

Saint and Caru look at each other in confusion as Ocras staggers to his feet holding his sides in laughter. "Ocras, are you ok? You're really scaring me." Caru whimpers and, with a bit of struggling, Ocras stops laughing long enough to look worried.

Than Caru reaches forward and caresses his arm. The touch sends waves of happiness up Ocras's body and he falls back down, laughing in pain instead of crying. Both of his friends stare at him, one fearfully, one just confused, as he clutches his arm, forcing more pain.

"Mother didn't lie. He never felt pain again."

 **And that is the end. Now I move on to greener pastures! Happy times, and darker stories.**


End file.
